From owner-freebsd-drivers@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jul 22 20:13:31 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-drivers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3DFF716A418 for ; Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:13:31 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@sopwith.solgatos.com) Received: from schitzo.solgatos.com (pool-71-117-237-217.ptldor.fios.verizon.net [71.117.237.217]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 05FF213C48D for ; Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:13:30 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@sopwith.solgatos.com) Received: from schitzo.solgatos.com (localhost.home.localnet [127.0.0.1]) by schitzo.solgatos.com (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id l6MJLjfP032543 for ; Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:21:45 -0700 Received: from sopwith.solgatos.com (uucp@localhost) by schitzo.solgatos.com (8.13.8/8.13.4/Submit) with UUCP id l6MJLj0U032540 for freebsd-drivers@freebsd.org; Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:21:45 -0700 Received: from localhost by sopwith.solgatos.com (8.8.8/6.24) id TAA14252; Sun, 22 Jul 2007 19:20:05 GMT Message-Id: <200707221920.TAA14252@sopwith.solgatos.com> To: freebsd-drivers@freebsd.org Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:20:05 +0100 From: Dieter Subject: userspace driver API ? X-BeenThere: freebsd-drivers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: freebsd@sopwith.solgatos.com List-Id: Writing device drivers for FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:13:31 -0000 The penguins have developed a "stable" userspace driver API to allow "most" of a driver to be in userland. http://liquidat.wordpress.com/2007/07/21/linux-kernel-2623-to-have-stable-userspace-driver-api/ No DMA (yet?). Not for drivers requiring the highest possible performance. It doesn't solve the problems of binary-only drivers. (security, fixing bugs, CPU arch, ...) But if they did a reasonable job (and yes that's a significant if), it might be useful for many drivers. Perhaps a way to share drivers between Linux, the BSDs, OS-X, OpenSolaris, ... Thoughts?