rust-osdev / rust-osdev/ps2-mouse

`new` or `init` function should probably be marked as `unsafe`

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Dominant language
Rust
Stars
14
Forks
9
PR merge metrics
No merged PRs in 30d

Description

Currently, there is no unsafe stopping someone from doing something like this:

let mut m1 = Mouse::new();
let mut m2 = Mouse::new();

// At the same time
m1.init();
m2.init();

Which would mess things up if the same ports are being accessed simultaneously.

I would suggest: making the init function unsafe:

/// # Safety
/// Reads and writes to ports 0x60 and 0x64. You must ensure that these ports are not being accessed concurrently by other code.

And another idea: What if the init function (and the other functions such as was a standalone function instead of being a method of Mouse? This way, we can leave Mouse as a pure, safe parser for incoming mouse data while making it more obvious that the init function modifies global state.

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  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
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  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by locating the Mouse::new and Mouse::init implementations and the code accessing ports 0x60 and 0x64. Resolve whether initialization should become unsafe or a standalone operation, then update the API and its safety documentation; done means the chosen design prevents undocumented concurrent port access while preserving Mouse as a parser where applicable.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
rust
Domain
operating-systems
Issue type
Refactor
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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