linux/drivers/usb
Alan Stern b375a0495f [PATCH] USB: URB_ASYNC_UNLINK flag removed from the kernel
29 July 2005, Cambridge, MA:

This afternoon Alan Stern submitted a patch to remove the URB_ASYNC_UNLINK
flag from the Linux kernel.  Mr. Stern explained, "This flag is a relic
from an earlier, less-well-designed system.  For over a year it hasn't
been used for anything other than printing warning messages."

An anonymous spokesman for the Linux kernel development community
commented, "This is exactly the sort of thing we see happening all the
time.  As the kernel evolves, support for old techniques and old code can
be jettisoned and replaced by newer, better approaches.  Proprietary
operating systems do not have the freedom or flexibility to change so
quickly."

Mr. Stern, a staff member at Harvard University's Rowland Institute who
works on Linux only as a hobby, noted that the patch (labelled as548) did
not update two files, keyspan.c and option.c, in the USB drivers' "serial"
subdirectory.  "Those files need more extensive changes," he remarked.
"They examine the status field of several URBs at times when they're not
supposed to.  That will need to be fixed before the URB_ASYNC_UNLINK flag
is removed."

Greg Kroah-Hartman, the kernel maintainer responsible for overseeing all
of Linux's USB drivers, did not respond to our inquiries or return our
calls.  His only comment was "Applied, thanks."

Signed-off-by: Alan Stern <stern@rowland.harvard.edu>
Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@suse.de>
2005-09-08 16:23:04 -07:00
..
atm [PATCH] USB: URB_ASYNC_UNLINK flag removed from the kernel 2005-09-08 16:23:04 -07:00
class [PATCH] USB usblp: rate-limit printer status error messages 2005-09-08 16:22:40 -07:00
core [PATCH] USB: URB_ASYNC_UNLINK flag removed from the kernel 2005-09-08 16:23:04 -07:00
gadget [PATCH] USB: Gadget library: centralize gadget controller numbers 2005-09-08 16:22:16 -07:00
host [PATCH] USB: Switch isp116x-hcd over to root hub interrupt 2005-09-08 16:22:48 -07:00
image [PATCH] clean up inline static vs static inline 2005-07-27 16:26:20 -07:00
input [PATCH] USB: URB_ASYNC_UNLINK flag removed from the kernel 2005-09-08 16:23:04 -07:00
media [PATCH] I2C: Drop I2C_DEVNAME and i2c_clientname 2005-09-05 09:14:35 -07:00
misc [PATCH] USB: URB_ASYNC_UNLINK flag removed from the kernel 2005-09-08 16:23:04 -07:00
mon [PATCH] USB: usbmon: Copyrights and a typo 2005-08-16 21:06:25 -07:00
net [PATCH] USB: URB_ASYNC_UNLINK flag removed from the kernel 2005-09-08 16:23:04 -07:00
serial [PATCH] USB ftdi_sio: New IDs for ELV, Xsens and Falcom products 2005-09-08 16:22:29 -07:00
storage [PATCH] USB: URB_ASYNC_UNLINK flag removed from the kernel 2005-09-08 16:23:04 -07:00
Kconfig [PATCH] USB: add S3C24XX USB Host driver support 2005-07-29 13:12:53 -07:00
Makefile [PATCH] USB: add ldusb driver 2005-07-12 11:52:57 -07:00
README Linux-2.6.12-rc2 2005-04-16 15:20:36 -07:00
usb-skeleton.c [PATCH] USB: fix Bug in usb-skeleton.c 2005-07-29 13:12:54 -07:00

To understand all the Linux-USB framework, you'll use these resources:

    * This source code.  This is necessarily an evolving work, and
      includes kerneldoc that should help you get a current overview.
      ("make pdfdocs", and then look at "usb.pdf" for host side and
      "gadget.pdf" for peripheral side.)  Also, Documentation/usb has
      more information.

    * The USB 2.0 specification (from www.usb.org), with supplements
      such as those for USB OTG and the various device classes.
      The USB specification has a good overview chapter, and USB
      peripherals conform to the widely known "Chapter 9".

    * Chip specifications for USB controllers.  Examples include
      host controllers (on PCs, servers, and more); peripheral
      controllers (in devices with Linux firmware, like printers or
      cell phones); and hard-wired peripherals like Ethernet adapters.

    * Specifications for other protocols implemented by USB peripheral
      functions.  Some are vendor-specific; others are vendor-neutral
      but just standardized outside of the www.usb.org team.

Here is a list of what each subdirectory here is, and what is contained in
them.

core/		- This is for the core USB host code, including the
		  usbfs files and the hub class driver ("khubd").

host/		- This is for USB host controller drivers.  This
		  includes UHCI, OHCI, EHCI, and others that might
		  be used with more specialized "embedded" systems.

gadget/		- This is for USB peripheral controller drivers and
		  the various gadget drivers which talk to them.


Individual USB driver directories.  A new driver should be added to the
first subdirectory in the list below that it fits into.

image/		- This is for still image drivers, like scanners or
		  digital cameras.
input/		- This is for any driver that uses the input subsystem,
		  like keyboard, mice, touchscreens, tablets, etc.
media/		- This is for multimedia drivers, like video cameras,
		  radios, and any other drivers that talk to the v4l
		  subsystem.
net/		- This is for network drivers.
serial/		- This is for USB to serial drivers.
storage/	- This is for USB mass-storage drivers.
class/		- This is for all USB device drivers that do not fit
		  into any of the above categories, and work for a range
		  of USB Class specified devices. 
misc/		- This is for all USB device drivers that do not fit
		  into any of the above categories.