Early Platform Drivers in Linux Kernel - Discussion and Implementation

Explore the challenges and solutions for early platform drivers in the Linux kernel in this Birds of a Feather (BoF) session led by Bartosz Golaszewski from BayLibre. Dive into the complexities of probing devices like timers, clock drivers, and irq chip drivers early in the boot sequence. Examine the limitations of current approaches using OF_DECLARE() macros and discuss proposed solutions to enable the use of helpful kernel APIs with actual device drivers. Learn about Golaszewski's recent patch series aimed at addressing initialization problems and implementing a comprehensive early platform drivers solution. Engage in a discussion about optimal methods for handling early-probed devices in Linux. Gain insights from Golaszewski's extensive experience in embedded systems, including his work on the Linux kernel, user-space programs, and maintenance of libgpiod.