Messages in this thread | | | From | <> | Subject | Re: Creative 4-speed CDROM driver | Date | Wed, 30 May 2001 18:21:09 +0100 |
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I think you've mistaken my tone :-)
I wasn't asking anyone to write the driver for me. But, I am at such a beginning position that I could pull my hair out for a year just trying to get an idea where to start, or I can ask someone. I am absolutely prepared to do the work, however I am not prepared to waste my time looking at irrelevant things or doing something that results in nothing.
What I am after is for someone to spell it out plain and clear: do this, then this, then this, whatever these things might be. (Get a book on IBM PC architecture, contact the manufacturer for a document which is called blah blah, or whatever these things are). I have all the standards documents now, and which parts to implement? You can see my problem. I am a beginner, and I am asking (I hope) fairly simple questions on where I should start, so I can cut some code and do some learning, get my device working and send the driver for everyone to download at comp.os.minix.
You see, I can't even begin to write one line of code, because I know nothing about what I am supposed to do. Sure, I know the basics, I have written toy device drivers for Linux, I know how to implement a driver for Minix, understand the main loop, handling messages from the Minix kernel, how to fill in a device structure correctly with pointers to functions that implement the device independant interface, etc. I know this stuff, that's not a problem. My problem is what is the I/O address range? Can I access it in C? Do I use DMA? When there are commands that can be implemented (set A, I'll call them) and another set of functions when the device uses the ATA Packet Interface (I'll call them set B) then which set? And the standard of ATAPI makes it clear that the Packet Interface is elsewhere, not defined in the ATAPI document.
I could go around and around in ever decreasing circles until I disappear up my own arse looking in all the wrong places and pulling my hair out. I am absolutely determined to write this driver. I will spend a year on it. Big deal. I have plenty of time. But I need someone who has done this or who knows how to do it to point me in the right direction so I can do it for myself. I am no dummy, just the URL to a document will do, I will do the actual reading and digesting the document.
Problem so far is that I didn't spell it out clearly enough that I am a beginner, and I had vague and incomprehensible emails from those who know what they are doing, assuming they are speaking to someone of equal knowledge. This I am not (although I plan to be, and can be when someone points me in the right direction.)
Thanks for writing to me. I appreciate your time very much.
James
----- Original Message ----- From: "Francois Romieu" <romieu@cogenit.fr> To: <james@spunkysoftware.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 8:40 AM Subject: Re: Creative 4-speed CDROM driver
james@spunkysoftware.com <james@spunkysoftware.com> écrit : > How do you think I should go about writing this driver? So the standards > documents are not the best way to go? What else is there for me to write
I've never said that. They are. I was simply outlining that drivers are written by people with *some* background in the specific field. If they don't have it, it takes them time to get it and have a satisfying driver.
It's not a 5 minutes/hours hack except maybe for someone that knows how Linux/Minix/Atapi/your specific cdrom work. IMHO such a person will be too busy now for others reasons. Thus, if you want it working, you have to invest your own time and walk the learning curve. It takes time however. See ?
-- Ueimor
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