hi,
When using the kfir module, you will have noticed
that the kernel freezes regularly for a few seconds or so.
Most noticably during module load, and during device closing.
(Try e.g. switching virtual consoles when loading kfir.o:
it will not work, as ALL system services are halted during
this time)
This is because the kernel module issues mdelay operations.
These are evil operations, and should always be avoided if
possible.
What's worse... it turns out that most of these delays
are not necessary, at least in my setup.
For instance, when redefining 'Sleep' to return without
delay, has had *no* impact on the functionality of my BMK
mpeg encoder card.
To improve the responsiveness of the system, I advice you to
redefine Sleep() in kfir.o as:
static inline void Sleep(int i)
{
return;
}
Next, I propose a carefull examination of all remaining
mdelay() ops, and see if the can be removed, or else lowered.
This can be a labourous task, so if we divide the workload
among the members of this mailinglist, we can probably
empirically designate those mdelays that are actually needed.
So... who's with me?
Bram
