Chapter 12

Kernel Modules and Device Drivers

If you think I’m a bad driver, you should see me putt.

Snoopy

Our objective in this chapter is to introduce the basics of Linux device drivers. We’ll begin with the concept of installable kernel modules. Then we’ll look at the basic device driver APIs in the context of a simple GPIO driver for the Mini2440. We’ll also look at how interrupts are handled. Finally, we’ll see how to integrate a new device driver into the kernel source tree.

Of necessity, this is a cursory overview of a very complex topic. The resources section offers additional reading.

Kernel Modules

Installable kernel modules offer a very useful way to extend the functionality of the basic Linux kernel and add new features without having ...

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