Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Users are not supposed to modify an operating system kernel, but it is often necessary to
add a device driver for a new peripheral device. Device driver development is a difficult and
time-consuming process that must be performed by an expert. Drivers are difficult to debug
and a malfunctioning driver could cause the operating system to crash. Ways are therefore
needed to make the development of device drivers safer and easier.
A number of different device driver development methods are examined in this thesis. An
existing micro-kernel that supports in-kernel device drivers as well as extensible device drivers
has been modified to support user-level and loadable drivers. These extensions ensured that
all the development methods were implemented in the same environment and a comparison
could thus be made on a fair basis.
A comparison of the different methods with respect to the efficiency of the resulting device
driver, as well as the ease of the development process, is presented. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gebruikers is nie veronderstelom aan 'n bedryfstelsel te verander nie, maar tog is dit gereeld
nodig om 'n toesteldrywer vir 'n nuwe randapparaat by te voeg. Die ontwikkeling van 'n
toesteldrywer is 'n tydrowende en moeilike proses en moet deur 'n kundige aangepak word.
Toesteldrywers is moeilik om te ontfout en kan deur verkeerde werking die hele stelsel tot stilstand
bring. Daar is dus tegnieke nodig om die ontwikkeling van toestelhanteerders makliker
en veiliger te maak.
'n Aantal verskillende ontwikkelingsmetodes vir toesteldrywers word in hierdie tesis ondersoek.
'n Bestaande mikro-kern wat in-kern, sowel as uitbreibare toesteldrywers ondersteun, is
aangepas om gebruikersvlak en laaibare toestelhanteerders te ondersteun. Hierdie uitbreiding
het verseker dat al die ontwikkelingsmetodes in dieselfde omgewing geïmplementeer is. Dit
was dus moontlik om die metodes op 'n regverdige grondslag te vergelyk. Die vergelyking
is gedoen ten opsigte van die effektiwiteit van die resulterende toesteldrywer sowel as die
moeilikheidsgraad van die ontwikkelingsproses.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51690 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Loubser, Johannes Jacobus |
| Contributors | De Villiers, P. J. A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Department of Mathematical Sciences. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xi, 79 pages : illustrations |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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