[KJ] Understanding earlier version of linux kernel

[KJ] Understanding earlier version of linux kernel

[Iwan BK]

Hello all.
I'm a newbie kernel hacker. My friend said that  understanding earlier
version of linux kernel ( v0.X) is a good practice to become a kernel
hacker.
Is it true ? Is there any project that do this.

thx

-- 
Iwan Budi Kusnanto
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Re: [KJ] Understanding earlier version of linux kernel

[John Anthony Kazos Jr.]

> I'm a newbie kernel hacker. My friend said that  understanding earlier
> version of linux kernel ( v0.X) is a good practice to become a kernel
> hacker.
> Is it true ? Is there any project that do this.

It's a good step to take if you're very new to programming in general. If 
you're experienced with C and object-oriented programming already, there's 
no need unless you're nostalgic.

Anyway, why would you need a project in order to tell you how to read 
code? This isn't a university; it's a tarball. Pick a spot to start: the 
text entry point, or a driver, or a particular file, or whatever, and go 
from there.
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Re: [KJ] Understanding earlier version of linux kernel

[Iwan BK]

On 5/22/07, John Anthony Kazos Jr. <jakj@j-a-k-j.com> wrote:
> > I'm a newbie kernel hacker. My friend said that  understanding earlier
> > version of linux kernel ( v0.X) is a good practice to become a kernel
> > hacker.
> > Is it true ? Is there any project that do this.
>
> It's a good step to take if you're very new to programming in general. If
> you're experienced with C and object-oriented programming already, there's
> no need unless you're nostalgic.

I'm an intermediate C programmer and have a good understanding at
object oriented programming .
I have been   developing some kernel module for 9 months, but not in
production yet.
I want to understand the whole linux kernel, but current version seems
too big for me. That's why, i want to understanding earlier version so
i can learn step by step.

>
> Anyway, why would you need a project in order to tell you how to read
> code? This isn't a university; it's a tarball. Pick a spot to start: the
> text entry point, or a driver, or a particular file, or whatever, and go
> from there.
>
Yeah, i already do that.
But, if there is some project, i think may learning progress will be faster.
May be i'm the one who must start the project :)

Thx.

-- 
Iwan Budi Kusnanto
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Re: [KJ] Understanding earlier version of linux kernel

[Matthew Wilcox]

On Tue, May 22, 2007 at 03:55:11PM +0700, Iwan BK wrote:
> Hello all.
> I'm a newbie kernel hacker. My friend said that  understanding earlier
> version of linux kernel ( v0.X) is a good practice to become a kernel
> hacker.
> Is it true ? Is there any project that do this.

Sounds like you want http://kernelnewbies.org/.  Your friend is wrong,
btw.  While earlier versions of Linux were less complex in some ways,
they were more complex in others, and don't support all the functionality
that more recent versions support.
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Re: [KJ] Understanding earlier version of linux kernel

[Adrian Bunk]

On Tue, May 22, 2007 at 07:38:39PM +0700, Iwan BK wrote:
> On 5/22/07, John Anthony Kazos Jr. <jakj@j-a-k-j.com> wrote:
>> > I'm a newbie kernel hacker. My friend said that  understanding earlier
>> > version of linux kernel ( v0.X) is a good practice to become a kernel
>> > hacker.
>> > Is it true ? Is there any project that do this.
>>
>> It's a good step to take if you're very new to programming in general. If
>> you're experienced with C and object-oriented programming already, there's
>> no need unless you're nostalgic.
>
> I'm an intermediate C programmer and have a good understanding at
> object oriented programming .
> I have been   developing some kernel module for 9 months, but not in
> production yet.
> I want to understand the whole linux kernel, but current version seems
> too big for me. That's why, i want to understanding earlier version so
> i can learn step by step.
>...

Do you want to follow the development of kernel development or do you 
want to understand the current kernel?

The problem is that understanding a 15 year old version might not help 
you that much with understanding the current version.

IMHO you are wrong if your first goal is "I want to understand the whole 
linux kernel" - depending on the definition of "whole", you can count 
the people who understand the whole current kernel with between 0 and 2 
hands.

Learn "step by step" parts of the current kernel instead.

> Thx.

cu
Adrian

-- 

       "Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out
        of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days.
       "Only a promise," Lao Er said.
                                       Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed

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