Linux Device Drivers

By (author) Corbet Jonathan
Short description/annotation:
A guide to help programmers learn how to support computer peripherals under the Linux operating system, and how to develop new hardware under Linux. This third edition covers all the significant changes to Version 2.6 of the Linux kernel. Includes full-featured examples that programmers can compile and run without special hardware.
Description:
Device drivers literally drive everything you''re interested in--disks, monitors, keyboards, modems--everything outside the computer chip and memory. And writing device drivers is one of the few areas of programming for the Linux operating system that calls for unique, Linux-specific knowledge. For years now, programmers have relied on the classic Linux Device Drivers from O''Reilly to master this critical subject. Now in its third edition, this bestselling guide provides all the information you''ll need to write drivers for a wide range of devices. Over the years the book has helped countless programmers learn: * how to support computer peripherals under the Linux operating system * how to develop and write software for new hardware under Linux * the basics of Linux operation even if they are not expecting to write a driver The new edition of Linux Device Drivers is better than ever. The book covers all the significant changes to Version 2.6 of the Linux kernel, which simplifies many activities, and contains subtle new features that can make a driver both more efficient and more flexible. Readers will find new chapters on important types of drivers not covered previously, such as consoles, USB drivers, and more. Best of all, you don''t have to be a kernel hacker to understand and enjoy this book. All you need is an understanding of the C programming language and some background in Unix system calls. And for maximum ease-of-use, the book uses full-featured examples that you can compile and run without special hardware. Today Linux holds fast as the most rapidly growing segment of the computer market and continues to win over enthusiastic adherents in many application areas. With this increasing support, Linux is now absolutely mainstream, and viewed as a solid platform for embedded systems. If you''re writing device drivers, you''ll want this book. In fact, you''ll wonder how drivers are ever written without it.
Table of contents:
Preface 1. An Introduction to Device Drivers; The Role of the Device Driver Splitting the Kernel; Classes of Devices and Modules Security Issues; Version Numbering; License Terms; Joining the Kernel Development Community Overview of the Book; 2. Building and Running Modules; Setting Up Your Test System; The Hello World Module; Kernel Modules Versus Applications; Compiling and Loading The Kernel Symbol Table; Preliminaries; Initialization and Shutdown; Module Parameters; Doing It in User Space; Quick Reference; 3. Char Drivers; The Design of scull; Major and Minor Numbers; Some Important Data Structures; Char Device Registration open and release; scull''s Memory Usage; read and write Playing with the New Devices; Quick Reference; 4. Debugging Techniques; Debugging Support in the Kernel; Debugging by Printing Debugging by Querying; Debugging by Watching; Debugging System Faults; Debuggers and Related Tools; 5. Concurrency and Race Conditions; Pitfalls in scull; Concurrency and Its Management Semaphores and Mutexes; Completions; Spinlocks; Locking Traps Alternatives to Locking; Quick Reference; 6. Advanced Char Driver Operations ioctl Blocking I/O; poll and select Asynchronous Notification; Seeking a Device; Access Control on a Device File Quick Reference; 7. Time, Delays, and Deferred Work; Measuring Time Lapses; Knowing the Current Time Delaying Execution Kernel Timers Tasklets; Workqueues; Quick Reference 8. Allocating Memory; The Real Story of kmalloc; Lookaside Caches get_free_page and Friends; vmalloc and Friends; Per-CPU Variables; Obtaining La