Re: Getting Started

["William D. Jones" <thor0505%comcast.net@localhost>]

(This mail is in response to Getting Started on 6/11/2014)

Alan and Greg, thank you both for your responses. At this point (after 
dealing with real life of course), I've read through the driver-writing 
guide and driver(9), config(9), and autoconf(9), and have modified the 
kernel files so that my template driver is compiled in successfully 
(http://pastebin.com/AF7iSmfu). sys/dev/isa/files.isa, my custom kernel 
config, and sys/arch/i386/conf/majors.i386 have also been modified 
accordingly (I used char 94 block 25 for my own source tree). As of right 
now, I'm much better with CVS, and build.sh, and have a shell script to swap 
out a working kernel with my own (I use a remote machine for compiling). 
Greg: RAM will have to wait for now (parity SIMMs still cost an arm and 
leg), but I'll humor myself and try the tests anyway.

Next is to actually get a driver working for this old CD-ROM device that is 
almost before my time :). Greg brings up a valid point when, in response to 
my delusions of writing a driver, he mentions “The question is who will 
spend time to address them and integrate it, and the easier you make that 
the better”. I'm writing a driver for a rather old piece of hardware for fun 
and education, not for use by the general public. Most people will not need 
this driver, and so I expect myself to be left to my own devices when 
writing the driver. In fact, it would be great if I could get this driver 
working without any questions at all- and I think that might be possible.

Although the driver might be for an old device, I'm under the impression a 
working driver- written up to standards- would be accepted anyway as a 
meaningful contribution- educational at least. And who knows- it might be of 
use to others. With that being said, where would be the proper place to get 
feedback (WITHOUT harassing the developers) as I develop this driver to ease 
integration? I do want to make this easy for all parties involved (besides 
myself and my sanity :P), and I'm grateful for any help I can get if 
necessary. I figure the tech-kern mailing list (pre-bare minimum 
implementation) or problem reports (when I have a bare-minimum 
implementation, like pcdopen and pcdread) are most appropriate, but does 
anyone more experience than me at writing device drivers have any advice?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me! Also, Alan wrote: "It's easier to 
deal with one question at a time, unless the questions are closely related." 
My mistake :P.

--
William D. Jones
Rowan University | ECE | 2012
Member IEEE
Member Tau Beta Pi
thor0505%comcast.net@localhost
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