programming drivers?

1) get specification for hardware register set from vendor

2) build code that gets loaded by kernel

3) write code that uses OS API to discover device

4) write code to use OS register abstraction (HAL) to configure device

5) install, reboot, crash

6) debug, update, goto 5


Most attempts end at 1), unless you actually work for the hardware vendor themselves.

It is better to program a virtual device driver first. It isn't strictly necessary for a driver to control real hardware
For example, MS DDK includes a joystick driver sample, in which the driver does all that a real driver would do, excluding the actual data transport.

-Nik

EDIT: Not that creating a vdd results in any less crashes and gpf's

[edited by - Nik02 on May 15, 2004 3:25:27 AM]