do you already know about the project "Linux driver for the HP officejet"
(http://www.ifs.physik.uni-stuttgart.de/Personal/RSchreiter/hpoj/)?
The communication to the HP officejet is done via MLC (multiple logical
channel), which allows to multiplex several links via one physical line
(e.g. printing, faxing and scanning at once via the parallel port, as
possible with the HP officejet). MLC was developped by HP and Microsoft and
is proposed the IEEE as standard "IEEE1284.4".
We think, the best way to build a driver for the HP officejets, would be to
implement a generic MLC socket. A socket seems to be appropriate, because
MLC is independent of the physical link: a serial port or any bidirectional
port can carry a MLC link (the HP officejet uses the parallel port).
http://www.ifs.physik.uni-stuttgart.de/Personal/RSchreiter/hpoj/mlcsocket.eps
shows the principle of the MLC socket: The MLC socket has to register to
the kernel (for the application programs can communicate to devices via the
MLC socket), and a MLC link provider (e.g. mlclp, a MLC link provider for
the parallel port) registers to the MLC socket when loaded.
Do you think, this is the right way to integrate devices in the
Linux kernel, which communicate via MLC (e.g. the HP officejets)?
Since devices get more and more "intelligent", I assume, there will be much
more devices in future communicating via MLC, when it will be made
IEEE standard (similar to SCSI!).
Further details concerning the kernel sources and Makefiles and so on
could be discussed here later.
We hope to get soon an "o.k." from the Linux-V.I.P.s or further hints and
suggestions.
Roger.
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