References

This page contains links to references that did not fit on the course home page. It will be updated as the term progresses.

The Text

• PDF textbook, Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Ed., on line.
• API Changes in the 2.6 kernel since the textbook. (You really need to read this, since most of these changes are not reflected in the textbook.) It contains links to several other articles, including the following:
  • new block request completion API (Jan 2008)
  • new scatter-gather list API (Dec 2007)
  • changes to VFS address space operations (Oct 2007)
  • changes to NAPI (Aug 2007)
  • new page fault handling (fault() replaces nopage()) (July 2007)
  • userspace drivers (May 2007)
  • new (SLUB) storage allocator (Apr 2007)
  • deferrable timers (Mar 2007)
  • managed resource API (Feb 2007)
  • more changes to work queues (Dec 2006)
  • changes to work queues (Nov 2006)
  • removal of regs argument to interrupt handlers (Oct 2006)
  • kernel lock validator (May 2006)
  • notifiers (May 2006)
  • mutex API (replaces kernel semaphores) (Jan 2006)
  • changes to block layer (Oct 2005)
  • kzalloc() (Aug 2005)
  • new timeout functions (Aug 2005)
  • changes to device model (Jun 2005)
  • new function cancel_rearming_delayed_work(Mar 2005)
  • integer ID management (Sep 2004)
• source code of examples from the textbook, Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Ed., downloaded from the author's ftp site (Beware that these are for kernel 2.6.10, and are not quite right for more recent kernels.)
  • cross referenced
  • individual files
  • examples.tar.gz

The Linux Operating System

• Linux kernel API documentation
• Linux kernel 2.6.21 sources
  • cross referenced
  • individual files

Background for Final Project

• how to set up a remote serial console
• information on HRT/Pixelsmart 512 PCI frame grabber device for which we are writing a driver
• notes on video and the HRT/Pixelsmart cards
• files from all student projects, including recent examples of frame-grabber drivers

Kernel 2.6

• Porting device drivers to the 2.6 kernel
• "A look into the workings of the next new kernel" — gives an overview of differences between the 2.4 and 2.6 kernels, including a device driver writer's perspective
• Migrating to Linux kernel 2.6 -- Part 2: Migrating device drivers to Linux kernel 2.6
• The Wonderful World of Linux 2.6

General Interest

• The Open Group's Single Unix Specification API search engine. This is the API implemented by Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.
• Definition of "cargo cult programming". Cargo cult programming can be a big problem with device driver code.
• GCC Inline Assembly Howto. You will run into some bits of assembly code as you read through the architecture-dependent portions of the kernel sources.