Linux-kernel mailing list archive 1998-10,: Idea: Super-Device Drivers

# Idea: Super-Device Drivers

Chris Arguin (cpa@hopper.unh.edu)
Sun, 8 Mar 1998 11:35:55 -0500 (EST)

- Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
- Next message: Matthew Cummings: "Can't boot 2.1.87 - 89 with SCSI and SMP"
- Previous message: Kurt Garloff: "2189: parport IRQ detection: OK"
- Next in thread: Martin von Loewis: "Re: Idea: Super-Device Drivers"
- Reply: Martin von Loewis: "Re: Idea: Super-Device Drivers"
- Reply: Miquel van Smoorenburg: "Re: Idea: Super-Device Drivers"
- Reply: David Woodhouse: "Re: Idea: Super-Device Drivers"

SuperDevice drivers is probably a bad choice of names, but my first choice
of "device filter" was even worse... Here is the basic concept:

Many physical devices don't have /dev counterparts, because they attach to
/dev devices. Examples are modems, mice, and printers. For most of these
devices we could define a standard API, and access them though those.

What with WinModems and WinPrinters coming out, this would make it easier
for software developers to support those screwy things (assuming somebody
wrote the driver). You just open /dev/modem and call the DIAL ioctl.
Similar things have been done in external libraries. I am just proposing
moving them into where they seem to belong.

There are problems. Kernel bloat, of course. But since they are devices, I
don't think it is out of line. But how do you specify, for example, that
/dev/modem is attached to /dev/cua1? Minor things like that would have to
be solved. I think it may be worth it, however.

Comments?

    --
    Chris Arguin                 | "...All we had were Zeros and Ones -- And
    Chris.Arguin@unh.edu         |  sometimes we didn't even have Ones."
                                 +--------------+	- Dilbert, by Scott Adams
    http://leonardo.sr.unh.edu/arguin/home.html |

    -
    To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
    the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu

- Next message: Matthew Cummings: "Can't boot 2.1.87 - 89 with SCSI and SMP"
- Previous message: Kurt Garloff: "2189: parport IRQ detection: OK"
- Next in thread: Martin von Loewis: "Re: Idea: Super-Device Drivers"
- Reply: Martin von Loewis: "Re: Idea: Super-Device Drivers"
- Reply: Miquel van Smoorenburg: "Re: Idea: Super-Device Drivers"
- Reply: David Woodhouse: "Re: Idea: Super-Device Drivers"