BlackBerry (Re: using libusb)

[Kirk Davis]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-freebsd-usb at freebsd.org [mailto:owner-freebsd-usb at freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Mikhail T.
>
>понеділок 14 січень 2008, Kirk Davis, Ви написали:
> =   I have ported the uberry driver from OpenBSD over to FreeBSD.  I have 
> = done a lot of changed and support for the new devices and am just
> = working on some final changed before submitting it.  I abandoned the
> = linux uberry driver as I didn't like the inteaction with libusb and
> = running it from userspace.

     I have the uberry(4) driver working now with all the blackberry devices but I'm still having some trouble getting the driver to mount the storage card in the new devices.  Right now the driver will detect the devices and turn on the USB power so it charges the device (the Linux uberry drives will not work with the 8830 and higher devices yet) but I can't get it to attach another interface to the umass device for mounting.

>
>Thanks, Kirk. Without knowing the details of your work, I can only emphasise once again, the API-compatibility with (the Linuxish) libusb is an absolute requirement.
>
>I'm sure, the API can be argued to be lacking in some respect or another. I'd also accept the validity of arguments for making kernel-drivers for various devices (such as uberry) instead of exposing them as ugen and >letting the user-space software deal with them.
>
>However, without the libusb API-compatibility AND the sysctl-compatibility for Linuxulator we will not be able to compile/run the applications written for Linux (Solaris?).

      I agree with you here, the job of porting software would be a lot easier if libusb where more compatible.  I don't think it is a conscious effort on anyone's part to make it different, it is just a port of an older Linux version that does not yet have all the newer features.  


>Some time ago BSD decided to go its own way with video instead of adopting the video4linux framework. I don't know the arguments leading that decision, but I'm quite certain, they were and remain sound... Unfortunately, it also meant incompatibility with Linux-targeted apps, and we should not repeat the same mistake with USB.

     The Linux way is not always the best way IMHO.  A lot of the features and libraries in Linux have grown out of necessity rather that good planning. It has worked well for them but I think FreeBSD has always done a better job of planning and "Doing it the right way".   Yes, I think we should be compatable where possable but not just because Linux does it this way.

     I have run into the V4L problem to when porting things over from Linux.  It would be great if some one would write V4L on FreeBSD but I'm not willing to tackle it so I'll have to wait until someone does.

---- Kirk