[openbeos] Re: Drivers
- From: "Michael Phipps" <mphipps1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: openbeos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 19:25:42 -0500
>We're going for binary compatibility and all, but what about device drivers?
>One of the things that I've heard numerous times about BeOS is that there
>isn't enough hardware support. Ithamar mentioned that we'll probably need to
>write new ones to take advantage of the new whistles and bells in the kernel,
>but I'm not so sure that's a good idea with (seemingly) so few people able
>and willing to do it. Anyone from the Kernel Team willing to comment?
I guess that would be me.
Initially, the Be engineers that I spoke to (Travis, in particular) were not
sanguine
about our chances. Then I said that I intended to rewrite the bus managers
(PCI, ISA,
IDE, USB, etc). The opinions then rose. I would *like* to be as bin compatible
with
drivers as possible. Since they are in C (one more good thing about C in the
kernel),
the GCC2.95 vs 3 thing doesn't effect them at all. Not that I have ever
committed to
GCC3, mind you, for anything.
Travis already did some level (haven't looked at it too much) of PCI and ISA.
Thomas, the author of the IDE replacement for BeOS is serious about doing an
IDE
implementation. USB is yet to be done. After that, 3rd part drivers may well
(should)
just work.
As far as what drivers we are doing, that is on the project plan that I have
not (yet)
published. It is open on my desktop right now. :-) I am still filling in
information...
Other related posts:
