NET 4000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8.1.4: Bluetooth, Direct Memory Access, Device Driver
Document Summary
A device driver is a software component that allows a hardware device to communicate with the operating system of a computer. Drivers allow an operating system to correctly interpret and implement the signals that come from the hardware device. The following table describes the two methods linux uses to implement device drivers: A kernel module is software that the kernel accesses only when it is needed. When in use, modules run as if they were part of the kernel and have the same access rights. When the drivers are compiled into the kernel, they are integrated into the kernel build when the kernel is recompiled. This method requires an administrator to recompile the kernel. Increase the size and complexity of the kernel. Should be limited to the hardware needed to boot the computer, such as drivers for the keyboard, mouse, and disk drive. The following directories contain information about the hardware that is installed on the computer:
