Re: [MiNT] [PATCH]USB host controller driver for Aranym

[David Gálvez <dgalvez75@gmail.com>]

2012/1/21 m0n0 <ole@monochrom.net>:
> can you explain, what kind of driver this is and what benefit it brings to
> us?

Yes of course :-)

> Does it allow development of USB device drivers on aranym, by making
> host-attached
> devices accessible to aranym/freemint?

More or less that is it.

Through Aranym Native Features is possible to access the USB devices
attached to host computer's bus.
Virtually from the Atari side (FreeMiNT) we see an USB Host Controller
Chip with 2 ports.
While Aranym is running there is an USB dialog inside the Aranym's
Setup GUI, where there is a list of USB devices attached to the host
computer, well actually is a list of USB device interfaces. From this
list by just clicking on a button the device interface will be
attached to the Atari, it simulates a physical USB device plug in.
Clicking on the same button again will disattach the device. It's
possible to attach maxim two devices. Hubs aren't showed in the list,
so it's not possible to attach them.

The driver I just commit is the software for this virtual USB host
controller, very similar to the xif network module that already exist
for Aranym.

So now it could be possible to make USB device drivers for FreeMiNT from Aranym.

By default this USB feature is disabled in Aranym, it should be
compiled with the option "--enable-usbhost" when running the configure
script.
And libusb version 1.0 should be present for your host, as far as I
know there are versions for Linux and MacOS, not sure about Windows.