Writing Simple Device Drivers
Learn the basic structure and principles of writing a minimal device driver to interact with hardware components.
What are Device Drivers?
Imagine your computer's operating system (OS) needs to talk to a printer. How does it know how to send print jobs, check ink levels, or handle paper jams?
This is where device drivers come in! They are special software programs that act as translators, allowing the OS to communicate with hardware devices.
Kernel vs. User Space
To understand drivers, we need to recall privilege levels. Most applications run in user space (less privileged), but drivers operate in kernel space (highly privileged).
- User Space: Where your everyday apps run. Limited direct hardware access.
- Kernel Space: Where the OS core and drivers run. Full, direct access to hardware. This is crucial for controlling devices.
All lessons in this course
- Introduction to Kernel Space
- Writing Simple Device Drivers
- Interfacing with Hardware Directly
- Synchronization and Concurrency in Kernel Space