Amiga.org
Operating System Specific Discussions => AROS Research Operating System => Topic started by: bloodline on December 10, 2003, 04:10:30 PM
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Following on from the SkyOS thread, I was wondering what thoughts people have on a Unified Driver interface.
Something that would allow all the small OS projects to share drivers and increase their usefullenss.
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How about that M$ driver wrapper for Linux? Could that be ported over?
Dammy
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Short: no.
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I thought that AROS had a similar driver concept...
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dammy wrote:
How about that M$ driver wrapper for Linux? Could that be ported over?
Dammy
A lot of the AROS devs have said that it would be perfectly possible to use Linux drivers in AROS... but have never really gone into much detail about it.
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I think it'd be great. Heck, I'd love to see a unified driver interface in AmigaOS alone, all this nonsense of having to develop for prometheus/Zorro/Grex/Mediator/AmigaOne all being somewhat different only makes for less drivers everyone can use. OpenPCI was a good attempt but was foiled by someone not wanting their product to benefit from sharing drivers. And another someone only allowed their product supported under conditions that prevented something else good to happen.
And if no one can cooperate to make this possible inside a single OS, I don't see it happening across multiple OSes in our little community. :(
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You mean this (http://www.projectudi.org/)?
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xisp wrote:
You mean this (http://www.projectudi.org/)?
Yup, that has been suggested, but I notice that there don't seem to be many drivers for it, and that SCO are involved... two downers... But I think someone more qualified than me should look at it :-D
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If you're trying to copy the Windows driver system, don't, because it's one of the worst inventions in computing history. Amiga is amiga because we don't have anything like this, and never should have.
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KennyR wrote:
If you're trying to copy the Windows driver system, don't, because it's one of the worst inventions in computing history. Amiga is amiga because we don't have anything like this, and never should have.
No, I just think there needs to be a standard driver interface. This would mean the all the OS projects that are out there AROS, SkyOS, AtheOS, ReactOS, NewOS, OBeOS etc.. etc.. etc... can all use the same driver.
Imagine that! If someone writes a Nvidia Graphics driver for AtheOS (for example), then any of the other OS projects could use it without the need to port it, just download it and install it.
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I think a unified driver system shared through all of the "hobby" OSes out there would be great. It would certainly cut back on the work that was needed for any specific OS to get support for hardware. . . but how to coordinate this will each of the seperate teams/OSes? Each team is going to want it done their way (probably closest to how they already have their driver system implemented so they don't need to change a whole lot) and in the end I don't think they could all come together on it. It would be great if they could though.
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How about a specific driver standard and a wrapper for each OS' driver system?
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@whabang
Well, I have often thought about that. Some nice open polymorphic interface for devices of all kinds would be ideal as the wrapper. Given OS's can then implement the interface in whatever way suits them best.
Mind you, any such suggestions I have ever made about creating wrapper systems for each (amiga) OS has usually been shot down in flames by people lecturing "it cant be done, you should simply do it our way..."
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Well, such a sytem would definitely boost the number of availible drivers for every OS that supports it.
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Youd need a well defined heirarchy for such a system. Devices by their very nature suit OOP design very well.
I wouldn't hold your breath though :-(
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Karlos wrote:
Youd need a well defined heirarchy for such a system. Devices by their very nature suit OOP design very well.
I wouldn't hold your breath though :-(
Well all modern OS projects support OOP... come on I know you have some good ideas :-)
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Here's what i posted in the previous thread:
bloodline wrote:
Some things I note about UDI is the large SCO input, that immediatelly makes me cautious of such a system and the rather conspicious lack of drivers...
True, that raised my eyebrows at first but you need to bear it mind when UDI first got off the ground (around 1999-time) and SCO's recent history of buy-outs, renaming, linux firtation and not litigation. I'm not sure if if really the same company anymore.
I think it's "clean".
But it is exactly the sort of thing we need.
Sure is.
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Practical : YES
Doable: Probably not. Getting all those different OS's to cooperate and unify would be like getting a practical common sense idea through the US Congress.
But it is a good idea. :idea:
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...but I notice that there don't seem to be many drivers for it [UDI]
So then you've got a choice....
1. Write all your own drivers for AROS
2. Write all your own drivers for AROS using UDI, where they be usable to any other OS that supports UDI.
Hey! Then if there's some useful drivers other OSs might use UDI!
Hey! Then they might write their own drivers that AROS will be able to use!
Geddit?
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Martyn wrote:
...but I notice that there don't seem to be many drivers for it [UDI]
So then you've got a choice....
1. Write all your own drivers for AROS
2. Write all your own drivers for AROS using UDI, where they be usable to any other OS that supports UDI.
Hey! Then if there's some useful drivers other OSs might use UDI!
Hey! Then they might write their own drivers that AROS will be able to use!
Geddit?
Doh! Yes of course :-)
I woudl be nice if someone could do a feasabilitry study on this. Sicne it looks like quite a task. But if we were able to put down a good solid profile/plan, then wer could present it to the other OS projects and get them involved. :-)
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That's the spirit!!
If I had the time (and some lower-level coding ability) I'd join in with you!
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Martyn wrote:
That's the spirit!!
If I had the time (and some lower-level coding ability) I'd join in with you!
I'd Vote for Karlos to do it :lol:
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"A lot of the AROS devs have said that it would be perfectly possible to use Linux drivers in AROS... but have never really gone into much detail about it."
Well, that would be one of the most interesting things you could do... even if the windows system of drivers is horrible the possibility of using them would be great...
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Crumb wrote:
"A lot of the AROS devs have said that it would be perfectly possible to use Linux drivers in AROS... but have never really gone into much detail about it."
Well, that would be one of the most interesting things you could do... even if the windows system of drivers is horrible the possibility of using them would be great...
Latest update is that, there is now talk of using *BSD drivers... Which as I understand it would be quite easy... we shall see.
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Hello
What about commercial linuxant loader or jungo Windriver?
Linuxant (http://www.linuxant.com)
Jungo (http://www.jungo.com)