From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: mfidelman@meetinghouse.net (Miles Fidelman) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2015 21:08:32 -0400 Subject: How do _you_ read the linux source? In-Reply-To: References: <55346E5F.6060308@gmail.com> Message-ID: <5535A310.4040608@meetinghouse.net> To: kernelnewbies@lists.kernelnewbies.org List-Id: kernelnewbies.lists.kernelnewbies.org Robert P. J. Day wrote: > On Sun, 19 Apr 2015, nick wrote: > >> On 2015-04-19 09:57 PM, r00nk at simplecpu.com wrote: >>> The following question gets asked a lot, "I know C, but reading the >>> kernel source is hard, what should I do?" and the common response is "ctags." >>> It's a lot like asking "how can I build a house?" and receiving the response >>> "screwdriver." >>> There is obviously more to it then learning C and installing ctags. >>> As a newbie myself, I recently had to overcome this problem, Here's what I >>> did: > ... snip ... > >>> The problem a lot of newbies are having is in 'separating the trunk >>> from the leaves.' So my question is this: Experienced kernel developers, how >>> do _you_ read source code? How do you separate the trunk from the leaves? >>> What do you do when you read code you're not familiar with? How do you learn? >>> What's your algorithm? > *sigh* ... this is the wrong question, in the same way that asking, > "how do i start writing kernel code?" is the wrong question. someone > once made the brilliant analogy that asking how to start contributing > to the kernel is akin to asking, "i want to write a book ... what > should i write about?" if you don't already know what interests you, > no one else can help you start writing. Maybe it's the wrong question, but it's sure stimulating a lot of good (as in informative) answers. Miles Fidelman -- In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is. .... Yogi Berra