Writing UNIX Device Drivers [Paperback]

George Pajari (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 1991

"Writing UNIX Device Drivers" provides application programmers with definitive information on writing device drivers for the UNIX operating system. It explains, through working examples, the issues related to the design and implementation of these important components of application programs.

Written by an acknowledged expert, the book uses full source code listings of real devices to explain the underlying concepts. Complete source code is provided for 12 drivers, including:

block drivers for a SCSI disk and a line printer

a character driver for an intelligent serial I/O device

a streams driver for a token-ring card

Covering System V Releases 3 and 4, "Writing UNIX Device Drivers" provides essential practical advice for all UNIX applications programmers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Writing UNIX Device Drivers provides application programmers with definitive information on writing device drivers for the UNIX operating system. It explains, through, working examples, the issues related to the design and implementation of these important components of application programs.

Written by an acknowledged expert, the book uses full source code listings of real devices to explain the underlying concepts. Complete source code is provided for 12 drivers, including:

• block drivers for a SCSI disk and a line printer
• a character driver for an intelligent I/O device
• a streams driver for a token-ring card

Covering System V Releases 3 and 4, Writing UNIX Device Drivers provides essential practical advice for all UNIX applications programmers.

0201523744B04062001

About the Author

George Pajari is the President and founder of Driver Design Labs, a company that specializes in the development of UNIX device drivers. His articles on the topic have appeared in BYTE, UNIX World, and The C Programmer's Journal. He is a regular speaker at UniForum.

0201523744AB04062001

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1st edition (November 25, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201523744
• ISBN-13: 978-0201523744
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #655,633 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best book for learning UNIX drivers., April 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Writing UNIX Device Drivers (Paperback)

This book is a priceless collection in the shelf of a Device Driver writer. Whether you are writing device drivers or just want to know more about them this is the book to read. The easy-to-understand language and style adopted by the author is also an added benefit to the reader.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plain English, thoughtful flow of topics, October 3, 2001

By 

Michael Ernest "JavaRanch Sheriff" (Corte Madera, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Writing UNIX Device Drivers (Paperback)

What I'm appreciating about this book is the simplicity and the vigor of the writing. It's *really* easy to make this topic sound really complicated. Pajari's approach lays out as few issues at one time as possible, then adds gradually to the mix. The early parts are not taxing, but the pace does pick up.

In teaching the subject, I often find it difficult to slow students down, and get them to confine their questions to one problem domain at a time. Device drivers have to fit into the kernel subsystem and communicate with a device through interrupts; there are LOTS of side questions people can dream up.

This book gave me a few insights into containing the discussions and forestall all that anxiety. Well worth the wait to get the book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete Examples, and Much More, January 3, 2001

By 

Curtis Jones (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writing UNIX Device Drivers (Paperback)

If nothing else, the thoroughness of the example code makes this book worth the cost. The variety of exampe types (nic, ram-based fs, etc) make it all the better.