lkml.org 
[lkml]   [2004]   [Feb]   [29]   [last100]   RSS Feed
Views: [more markup]  [less markup]  [headers]  [forward] 
 
Messages in this thread
/
SubjectRe: A Layered Kernel: Proposal
FromChrister Weinigel <>
Date29 Feb 2004 13:32:04 +0100
Grigor Gatchev <grigor@zadnik.org> writes:

> > In the linux kernel I think that one of the most important things I've
> > learned from it: middle layers are usually wrong.  Instead of hiding a
> > device driver behind a middle layer, expose the low level device
> > driver, but give it a library of common functions to build upon.  That
> > way the driver is in control all the time and can use all the neat
> > features of the hardware if it wants to, but for all the common tasks
> > that have to be done, hand them over to the library.
> 
> By principle, the "least common denominator" type container layers are
> bad, because of not being extendable; you are completely right here. A
> class-like driver object model seems better to me. And the class-like
> model is not the only one that is nicely extendable. 

> You seem to be knowledgeable on the topic - what driver object model
> would you suggest for a driver layer model?

Thanks for the confidence, bur I really don't know, it's much easier
to criticize someone elses design than to come up with a good one
myself. :-)

With that said, I think that they way the Linux kernel is moving
regarding to IDE/SCSI devices is a good idea.  Linux has been around
for a while now and the Linux people have tried lots of things that
turned out not to be such a good idea after all.  Many things are
still there in the kernel, but if it's important enough, it gets
cleaned up after a while.

  /Christer

-- 
"Just how much can I get away with and still go to heaven?"

Freelance consultant specializing in device driver programming for Linux 
Christer Weinigel <christer@weinigel.se>  http://www.weinigel.se
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/

\
 
 \ /
  Last update: 2005-03-22 14:01    [W:0.569 / U:0.020 seconds]
©2003-2008 Jasper Spaans