Anyone experienced in Linux Device Drivers?

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AronE.
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Anyone experienced in Linux Device Drivers?

Post by AronE. »

Alright, I thought of doing C++/SDL/OpenGL for long time (idk for what reason), but I don't want to be a game developer. I've never wanted to. I started game dev because I knew I needed experience with "the tools". But to be honest, I've got everything I needed, I'm not going to progress with OpenGL(atleast for now), having a decent experience with SDL for game development is fine for me. I've learned couple of things along the way, but I've been wanting to make something system-related for a little more than half a year. As for game development, I've never wanted to. That's why I'm making this topic.

The way into getting to Linux Kernel Development is starting with writing C Linux Device Drivers, it's the gateway to getting more hardcore. However, this is where I'm stuck at. It seems like I have to learn couple of things beforehand until I start writing drivers. Anyone with experience in Operating Systems or Linux Device Drivers, where should I start from, like, the very bottom? Should I know more about Operating Systems or anything else before getting into practice?

Edit : My knowledge on this topic so far is very limited, I know these things :
Kernel vs User space
Unloading, loading modules
Making a very basic module
Kernel Modules vs an application
Character vs Block vs Internet device drivers (Pretty much the basic difference between device drivers)
and there are probably several other basic things I haven't mentioned
Last edited by AronE. on Mon Aug 08, 2016 10:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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bbguimaraes
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Re: Anyone experienced in Linux Device Drivers?

Post by bbguimaraes »

No experience myself, but I know this.

Knowing the author, I'm pretty sure this is a good book. *And* it has a Creative Commons license.
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Accy
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Re: Anyone experienced in Linux Device Drivers?

Post by Accy »

Read this:

https://www.linux.com/blog/learn-how-co ... -challenge

Don't get to concerned with the imaginary prerequisites people on the internet set, especially for programming. Hell, in game dev, people make it sound like you need be adding new C++ language features before you can even THINK about downloading SDL. Take the challenges, learn about the kernel, then deal with device drivers as they come up.
AronE.
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Re: Anyone experienced in Linux Device Drivers?

Post by AronE. »

Accy wrote:Read this:

https://www.linux.com/blog/learn-how-co ... -challenge

Don't get to concerned with the imaginary prerequisites people on the internet set, especially for programming. Hell, in game dev, people make it sound like you need be adding new C++ language features before you can even THINK about downloading SDL. Take the challenges, learn about the kernel, then deal with device drivers as they come up.
This challenge seems to be too busy recently, some tasks take from a week to couple of months until being sent. In that time, I can learn it all by myself, so I'm not really sure about it. I have already started with Linux Kernel Development and Linux Device Drivers and seems like I will have to learn it on my own. I still would love to do these challenges, from articles made about it, it seems like they give great understanding of the available subsystems and their capabilities.

Oh, and thanks for the advices, but I needed sources to learn device drivers, not motivation about programming(I have previous experience), but thanks anyway!
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