Subject: Re: [SoC] LED/LCD Generic API
To: Garrett D'Amore <garrett_damore@tadpole.com>
From: Michael Lorenz <macallan@netbsd.org>
List: tech-kern
Date: 05/06/2006 00:08:55
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Hello,

>>   With regards to Summer of Code projects, I am very interested in 
>> the "LED/LCD
>> Generic API" project. While I realise its cutting it close for this, 
>> if anyone
>> has any feedback on my proposal that would be great. The proposal is 
>> at
>>
>>   http://www.netsoc.tcd.ie/~bofh/soc_NetBSD_LEDAPI.html
>>
>> Thanks!
>>   -- Joseph Mullally
>>
>
> Hmm... I really like the idea of a common API.  But I am doubtful about
> the need or benefit provided by a userland daemon.  Couldn't this
> instead be handled by simple ioctls to the devices themselves, which
> could export a common set of ioctls for querying features, and
> getting/setting values?

Seconded. Sure, a userland daemon would add flexibility but it would 
also add considerable overhead and would be useless during kernel 
startup when LEDs/LCDs might be a valuable debugging aid.
Same about kernel panics.

> A *utility* that runs at startup to configure initial settings from 
> some
> configuration file might be useful however.

Definitely, it may not always be possible to come up with a reasonable 
and complete default wiring and this default may or may not be what the 
user wants.

> I would strongly recommend looking at the GPIO framework as an example
> for what I have in mind.

Yes, it would be nice if we could use any gpio as output.

> I'd also be willing to mentor this project.

I've been volunteered for it as well ;)

have fun
Michael
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