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The Most Practical Guide to Writing Linux Device Drivers

Linux now offers an exceptionally robust environment for driver development: with today’s kernels, what once required years of development time can now be accomplished in days. In this practical, example-driven book, one of the world’s most experienced Linux driver developers systematically demonstrates how to develop reliable Linux drivers for virtually any device.

Essential Linux Device Drivers is for any programmer with a working knowledge of operating systems and C, including programmers who have never written drivers before. Sreekrishnan Venkateswaran focuses on the essentials, bringing together all the concepts and techniques you need, while avoiding topics that only matter in highly-specialized situations.

Venkateswaran begins by reviewing the Linux 2.6 kernel capabilities that are most relevant to driver developers. He introduces simple device classes; then turns to serial buses, external buses such as PCMCIA, PCI, and USB; video, audio, block, and network device drivers; user-space drivers; and drivers for embedded Linux–one of today’s fastest growing areas of Linux development. For each, Venkateswaran explains the technology, inspects relevant kernel source files, and walks through developing a complete example.

·   Covers the entire driver development lifecycle, through debugging and maintenance

·   Addresses drivers discussed in no other book, including WiFi, USB serial drivers, and sound drivers

·   Demystifies essential kernel services and facilities, including kernel threads and helper interfaces

·   Teaches polling, asynchronous notification, and I/O control

·   Introduces the Inter-Integrated Circuit Protocol for embedded Linux drivers

·   Shows how to write drivers for Compact Flash and other flash memory devices

·   Covers multimedia device drivers using the Linux-Video subsystem and Linux-Audio framework

·   Includes reference appendixes covering Linux assembly, BOIS calls, Seq files, and the kernel’s view of physical memory