Good books?

[Crane, Matthew]

If we're talking about embedded programming and not whole systems that
are described as embedded, then I would only differentiate it as coding
that interacts directly or closely with the hardware and hardware
processes. 

I would say OS/kernel programming is another sort, with blurry borders
next to embedded programming.  

Obviously there's all kinds of room for debate.  Your definitions are
good too.

Matt

-----Original Message-----
From: openmoko-devel-bounces at lists.openmoko.org
[mailto:openmoko-devel-bounces at lists.openmoko.org] On Behalf Of Joe
Pfeiffer
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 11:34 AM
To: openmoko-devel at lists.openmoko.org
Subject: RE: Good books?


Crane, Matthew writes:
>"building embedded Linux systems" o'rielly.  
> 
>I think embedded is really just the code that is close to the
>hardware.  Daemons, services, aren't embedded.  Modules if they're
>interacting with the hardware.  Not all will.

If that's the definition the O'Reilly book is using (I haven't read
it), it's *really* idiosyncratic.  Normally, an "embedded" system is
one in which the computer is being used as the control of some device,
but the computer isn't the "point" of the device.  So, for instance,
the engine management computer in an automobile is embedded; a modern
stereo with digital tuning has a computer driving its display that's
embedded; the computer driving your microwave oven is embedded.  A PC
isn't an embedded system, but the CPU in the keyboard is.

What you're describing sounds a lot more like device drivers.

>Maybe you want to look more at a kernel book.  I expect the hardware
>level code is battlescared enough that one would expect a bit of a
>learning curve to get into the details.  I dunno though.. 

The O'Reilly books on Linux device drivers, and on the kernel, are
both outstanding.