lkml.org 
[lkml]   [2006]   [Feb]   [6]   [last100]   RSS Feed
Views: [wrap][no wrap]   [headers]  [forward] 
 
Messages in this thread
/
Date
From
SubjectRe: Linux drivers management
> Is there any work in Linux undergoing to separate Linux drivers and the 
> the main kernel, and manage drivers using a package management system
> that only manages kernel drivers and modules? If this can be done, the
> kernel maintenance can be simple, and will end-up with a more stable
> (less frequent changed) kernel API for drivers, also make every
> developers of drivers happy.

Not very seriously. Kernel developers really like the ability to change
every user of a kernel programming interface within a single source tree.
Breaking it up would make it harder to change the device driver interface
when necessary. (It's already hard enough; nobody does it for fun.)

Also, a hardware manufacturer looking for a "stable API" is often
really looking for a stable *binary* interface because they want to
ship binary-only drivers.

The Linux developers are quite opposed to that, for a variety of excellent
reasons I won't bother enumerating. Linus has said he'll (grudgingly)
allow it, but won't lift a finger to help. Linux development sailed
away from the idea of a stable binary interface years ago, and isn't
looking back.
-
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: 2006-02-07 05:45    [W:1.271 / U:0.248 seconds]
©2003-2020 Jasper Spaans|hosted at Digital Ocean and TransIP|Read the blog|Advertise on this site