Version 20140114

14 January 2014. Summary of changes for version 20140114:

1) ACPICA kernel-resident subsystem:

Updated all ACPICA copyrights and signons to 2014. Added the 2014
copyright to all module headers and signons, including the standard Linux
header. This affects virtually every file in the ACPICA core subsystem,
iASL compiler, all ACPICA utilities, and the test suites.

Improved parameter validation for AcpiInstallGpeBlock. Added the
following checks:
1) The incoming device handle refers to type ACPI_TYPE_DEVICE.
2) There is not already a GPE block attached to the device.
Likewise, with AcpiRemoveGpeBlock, ensure that the incoming object is a
device.

Correctly support "references" in the ACPI_OBJECT. This change fixes the
support to allow references (namespace nodes) to be passed as arguments
to control methods via the evaluate object interface. This is probably
most useful for testing purposes, however.

Improved support for 32/64 bit physical addresses in printf()-like
output. This change improves the support for physical addresses in printf
debug statements and other output on both 32-bit and 64-bit hosts. It
consistently outputs the appropriate number of bytes for each host. The
%p specifier is unsatisfactory since it does not emit uniform output on
all hosts/clib implementations (on some, leading zeros are not supported,
leading to difficult-to-read output).

Example Code and Data Size: These are the sizes for the OS-independent
acpica.lib produced by the Microsoft Visual C++ 9.0 32-bit compiler. The
debug version of the code includes the debug output trace mechanism and
has a much larger code and data size.

Current Release:
Non-Debug Version: 96.2K Code, 27.0K Data, 123.2K Total
Debug Version: 187.5K Code, 78.3K Data, 265.8K Total
Previous Release:
Non-Debug Version: 96.1K Code, 27.0K Data, 123.1K Total
Debug Version: 185.6K Code, 77.3K Data, 262.9K Total

2) iASL Compiler/Disassembler and Tools:

iASL: Fix a possible fault when using the Connection() operator. Fixes a
problem if the parent Field definition for the Connection operator refers
to an operation region that does not exist. ACPICA BZ 1064.

AcpiExec: Load of local test tables is now optional. The utility has the
capability to load some various tables to test features of ACPICA.
However, there are enough of them that the output of the utility became
confusing. With this change, only the required local tables are displayed
(RSDP, XSDT, etc.) along with the actual tables loaded via the command
line specification. This makes the default output simler and easier to
understand. The -el command line option restores the original behavior
for testing purposes.

AcpiExec: Added support for overlapping operation regions. This change
expands the simulation of operation regions by supporting regions that
overlap within the given address space. Supports SystemMemory and
SystemIO. ASLTS test suite updated also. David Box. ACPICA BZ 1031.

AcpiExec: Added region handler support for PCI_Config and EC spaces. This
allows AcpiExec to simulate these address spaces, similar to the current
support for SystemMemory and SystemIO.

Debugger: Added new command to read/write/compare all namespace objects.
The command "test objects" will exercise the entire namespace by writing
new values to each data object, and ensuring that the write was
successful. The original value is then restored and verified.

Debugger: Added the "test predefined" command. This change makes this
test public and puts it under the new "test" command. The test executes
each and every predefined name within the current namespace.

Date: 
14 January, 2014