essential linux device drivers by Venkateshwaran vs linux device drivers 3rd edition

from ChatGPT:

https://chatgpt.com/c/6829cbd9-5f70-800e-b218-f492843daeb0

 

"Essential Linux Device Drivers" by Sreekrishnan Venkateswaran and "Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Edition" by Jonathan Corbet, Alessandro Rubini, and Greg Kroah-Hartman are both respected books, but they serve different purposes and are written from different perspectives, targeting different stages of Linux kernel development and different types of learners.

Here is a direct comparison based on their content, focus, and utility:

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🛠️ 1. Target Audience and Learning Curve

📘 Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Edition (LDD3):

• Published: 2005 (based on Linux 2.6 kernel)

• Target Audience: Beginners to intermediate kernel programmers.

• Style: Tutorial-style, pedagogical; handholds you through progressively complex examples.

• Assumption: You know C, but not necessarily anything about the kernel.

• Strength: Teaches how and why things work, very explanatory.

📘 Essential Linux Device Drivers:

• Published: 2008 (covers Linux 2.6.10 to 2.6.23)

• Target Audience: Engineers working on embedded systems and real-world hardware.

• Style: Practical, focused on hardware specifics. Less didactic, more encyclopedic.

• Assumption: You have familiarity with Linux systems, perhaps embedded work.

• Strength: Covers a wider breadth of actual real-world hardware (USB, PCI, I2C, etc.).

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📚 2. Scope and Depth

Topic	LDD3	Essential LDD
Character Drivers	✅ Strong	✅ Good
Block Drivers	✅ Basic	✅ More practical
Network Drivers	✅ Introduction	✅ More real-world examples
USB, I2C, PCI, PCMCIA	❌ Sparse or absent	✅ Strong coverage
Multimedia, Audio, Display	❌ Minimal	✅ Included
Power Management	❌ Very little	✅ Covered
Embedded Systems	❌ No focus	✅ Strong embedded bias

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🧠 3. Philosophical and Practical Differences

• LDD3 is for learning kernel internals and writing drivers as a means to learn.

• Essential LDD is for building working drivers for actual devices. Think of it as “how to make Linux talk to a chip”.

LDD3 is like a university course.
Essential LDD is like an engineering field manual.

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⚠️ 4. Age and Relevance

• Both are outdated in terms of API. Kernel APIs evolve—struct file_operations, probe/remove, power management interfaces, sysfs/syscalls all changed.

• Neither covers device tree, which is essential for modern ARM-based systems (like Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, etc.).

• But Essential LDD ages better for embedded work, while LDD3 still shines as a pedagogical introduction.

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🧾 Recommendation Based on Your Goals

If you're:

• New to kernel space and want to learn from first principles → LDD3

• Engineering on ARM/SOC platforms, writing drivers for I2C/SPI/etc. → Essential LDD

• Planning to contribute to upstream kernel → Read LDD3, then move to official documentation + LWN articles

• Studying OS design academically → Start with LDD3, supplement with Robert Love, then source code

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🔧 Realistic Workflow Today

1. Read LDD3 for conceptual clarity.

2. Skim Essential LDD to get a grip on platform devices, buses, hardware protocols.

3. Follow recent Linux kernel docs (Documentation/driver-api/, kernel.org) for up-to-date APIs.

4. Read LWN.net for discussions on evolving kernel practices.

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Final Verdict

Situation	Recommended Book
Learning basics	LDD3
Embedded Linux development	Essential LDD
Writing character drivers	LDD3
Writing drivers for real devices (e.g., touchscreen, camera)	Essential LDD
Just want up-to-date stuff	Neither (use official docs and LWN)

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Want a suggestion for a modern workflow for driver development using Raspberry Pi or ARM SBCs?