Hi all

What are device drivers ?
What purpose do they serve ?
Examples ?

Thanks
Elico

Homework...

Such a general question is best answered by you searching the Internet. On this forum homework questions fall generally under the category of the forbidden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Device_driver

Hi elico,

Welcome to LQ!!!

If you would have typed that in google you would got the answer by now :-)

Anyways here is the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Device_driver

Here are the answers to your question in simple terms:

Device drivers are softwares which are required by the OS/applicates to communicate with the hardware device.

They act as a mediator between the OS/application and the hardware device.

An easy example would be of printer. You do require a driver when you install printer (Modern printers sometimes does not require that as they come inbuilt in the system). When you send print these drivers translate the instruction which device (printer) can understand and get you the desired output.