Drew Northup wrote:
> --- Tim Waugh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > On Thu, 13 Apr 2000, Bryan Meredith wrote:
> >
> > > It's like one of the points raised in the parallel
> > thread about do we
> > > provide the port or the printer. Should we provide
> > the serial port or
> > > the modem?
> >
> > IMHO the port, not the peripheral.
> >
> > This way parallel/serial devices that are not
> > natively supported stand a
> > chance of working under the guest OS.
> >
> > Tim.
> I agree also, too a point. There asre some things
> that cannot be easily (or effectively)
> port-emulatated. Therefore, this is probably a
> question that should be considered device by
> device--with port-emulation/virtualization being the
> primary goal.
But, if we emulate a port, where does the port send the data that passes
into it and where does the port get the data to pass back? Are we now
proposing a hierarchy of devices such that say the parallel port can
have access to a scanner. How would the parallel port software be able
to handshake properly when the protocol would be defined by the scanner
and the guest os driver? Is the parallel port software integrated into
the scanner or do we define a parallel device class and derive different
devices from it in order to override or implement through call-backs the
required functionality?
My feelings on the matter are that this project is really targeting the
(mainly) Microsoft users in an effort to bring them the joys of a
reliable OS. The thing that ties them the most to Microsoft is the
dependency on applications. For the vast majority of users, these
applications require keyboard, mouse, monitor, storage, optional
comms/network, optional sound, optional printer. Do we complicate things
by attempting to support other devices when in reality, the users would
be better served by migrating to the host OS proper? In short, do we
keep it lean and mean or go for a total experience which, I must admit,
as a developer, I would find most satisfying but as a user, it would
just be featuritus.
This issue is what I am really pondering and that is why I apologised -
it is possibly quite contentious!
Bryan
