Solar wrote:But remember, the FAQ is not about providing drop-in solutions for every problem, it is about giving you the information required to do something yourself.
Yes, if you're writing an OS, looking for information, and it seems more like people just want to give hints rather than solutions, it's largely because if you're truly developing your own OS, no one can discover the solution but you. Any information beyond the level of hint is necessarily specific to how a particular operating system is doing things. If you wish to do things entirely differently from everyone else, count on the fact that no one can provide you a solution. This is why we keep pointing out that most people implementing mouse support using interrupts. If you want to do it otherwise, go right ahead, but understand none of us have ever done it that way -- we can't help you! If you want us to provide you a drop in solution, you'll be forced into doing things our way.
OTOH, if you wish to use drop in solutions, go right ahead. But at that point, you might as well just use another operating system, if you're going to use someone else's operating system code rather than write your own. If you find yourself yearning for drop in solutions, OS development may not be for you.
Information tends to be available to the degree it is used. Information on developing applications is easy to come by, because lots of people do it. Information on interfacing with hardware is difficult, since few people ever do. Being an OS developer means you have to be part hacker. You need to be able to take a few scraps of information and fill in the holes yourself, through intuition and experimentation, trial and error.
It's kinda like a badly written adventure game, where the NPCs offer few hints, and half of them in Engrish. Unfair, but that the game, and there will be no real accomplishment in your part if you get to the end by using a walkthrough. Besides, you can't. If you really are developing an OS that is truly your own, there are no walkthroughs -- you're the only player of your own particular adventure.
Try something. If it doesn't work, reload from the last save point in try something else. Good luck and have fun!