Book Image

Mastering Linux Device Driver Development

By : John Madieu
Book Image

Mastering Linux Device Driver Development

By: John Madieu

Overview of this book

Linux is one of the fastest-growing operating systems around the world, and in the last few years, the Linux kernel has evolved significantly to support a wide variety of embedded devices with its improved subsystems and a range of new features. With this book, you’ll find out how you can enhance your skills to write custom device drivers for your Linux operating system. Mastering Linux Device Driver Development provides complete coverage of kernel topics, including video and audio frameworks, that usually go unaddressed. You’ll work with some of the most complex and impactful Linux kernel frameworks, such as PCI, ALSA for SoC, and Video4Linux2, and discover expert tips and best practices along the way. In addition to this, you’ll understand how to make the most of frameworks such as NVMEM and Watchdog. Once you’ve got to grips with Linux kernel helpers, you’ll advance to working with special device types such as Multi-Function Devices (MFD) followed by video and audio device drivers. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to write feature-rich device drivers and integrate them with some of the most complex Linux kernel frameworks, including V4L2 and ALSA for SoC.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
1
Section 1:Kernel Core Frameworks for Embedded Device Driver Development
6
Section 2: Multimedia and Power Saving in Embedded Linux Systems
13
Section 3: Staying Up to Date with Other Linux Kernel Subsystems

Chapter 14: Linux Kernel Debugging Tips and Best Practices

Most of the time, as part of development, writing code is not the hardest part. Things are rendered difficult by the fact that the Linux kernel is a standalone software that is at the lowest layer of the operating system. This makes it challenging to debug the Linux kernel. However, this is compensated by the fact that the majority of the time, we don't need additional tools to debug kernel code because most of the kernel debugging tools are part of the kernel itself. We will begin by familiarizing ourselves with the Linux kernel release model and you will learn the Linux kernel release process and steps. Then, we will look at the Linux kernel debugging-related development tips (especially debugging by printing) and finally, we will focus on tracing the Linux kernel, ending with off-target debugging and learning to leverage kernel oops.

This chapter will cover the following topics:

  • Understanding the Linux kernel...