Date: 6 Feb 2006 23:42:04 -0500
Message-ID: <20060207044204.8908.qmail@science.horizon.com>
From: linux@horizon.com
To: davidchow@shaolinmicro.com
Subject: Re: Linux drivers management
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org
Content-Length: 1387
Lines: 26

> Is there any work in Linux undergoing to separate Linux drivers and the 
> the main kernel, and manage drivers using a package management system 
> that only manages kernel drivers and modules? If this can be done, the 
> kernel maintenance can be simple, and will end-up with a more stable 
> (less frequent changed) kernel API for drivers, also make every 
> developers of drivers happy.

Not very seriously.  Kernel developers really like the ability to change
every user of a kernel programming interface within a single source tree.
Breaking it up would make it harder to change the device driver interface
when necessary.  (It's already hard enough; nobody does it for fun.)

Also, a hardware manufacturer looking for a "stable API" is often
really looking for a stable *binary* interface because they want to
ship binary-only drivers.

The Linux developers are quite opposed to that, for a variety of excellent
reasons I won't bother enumerating.  Linus has said he'll (grudgingly)
allow it, but won't lift a finger to help.  Linux development sailed
away from the idea of a stable binary interface years ago, and isn't
looking back.
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