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From: "Gary R. Van Sickle" <g DOT r DOT vansickle AT worldnet DOT att DOT net>
To: <cygwin AT cygwin DOT com>
Subject: RE: device drivers - general info
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 21:28:02 -0500
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> From: George Locke
> Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:48 PM
> Subject: device drivers - general info
> 
> Hi group,
> 
> I am running windows 2k with the most recent Cygwin version 
> 1.5.21-1, just installed it last week.
> 
> I wish to create a C++ program that communicates with a 
> windows device driver (for a PCI card that interfaces with 
> external electronics).
> The maker of the driver has provided a C++ library that 
> allows me to write C++ programs that communicate with the PCI 
> card, and i know that this works in regular windows, but i am 
> feeling unsure about whether it will work in Cygwin.
> 
> Would you say "in general yes, that kind of thing should 
> work"?

If the C++ library is not provided in source-code form, you're pretty much
out of luck, due to name-mangling differences and other issues.  If they're
giving you a C++ source library that ultimately communicates with the
kernel-level driver via normal Win32 filehandles and/or IOCTLs, I would say,
"if you've followed me so far, in general this kind of thing can be made to
work, but be prepared to roll up your sleeves, because odds are that the
code was written for Visual Studio."

>  Is there a general rule for how Cygwin interacts with 
> windows hardware drivers?

The Cygwin DLL is Win32 application-level code, so Cygwin apps don't
interact any differently with drivers than "normal" Win32 apps.

>  is there a web-page that will 
> explain driver issues within Cygwin (googling the cygwin site 
> has been unfruitful so far)?
> 

I'm sure there is no such animal, since again there's nothing special with
Cygwin when it comes to drivers.

> If you need more specifics i'll provide them.  I can't simply 
> test this because I don't have the driver, and i won't buy it 
> ($900) unless i feel assured that i will be able to make it 
> work, hence this email.
> 
>  Regards,
> 
> George Locke
> 

-- 
Gary R. Van Sickle


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