Developing Kernel Code newbie

Developing Kernel Code newbie

[Amir Hermelin]

Hi,
I've recently started development on the Linux Kernel, and wondered if
there's any kernel-dev FAQ/Howto/online courses/etc to help me get started
with debugging techniques. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Amir.

Re: Developing Kernel Code newbie

[Nick Piggin]

Amir Hermelin wrote:

>Hi,
>I've recently started development on the Linux Kernel, and wondered if
>there's any kernel-dev FAQ/Howto/online courses/etc to help me get started
>with debugging techniques. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>

Understanding the Linux Kernel and Linux Device Drivers (free online I
think) are 2 good books to start with. Also www.kernelnewbies.org.

Re: Developing Kernel Code newbie

[Daniel Drake]

I'm in a similar situation here.. a C/C++ beginner, very keen to work on 
  the Linux kernel.
Those two books you mentioned, the latest editions cover the 2.4 series 
kernel. Would reading these still be useful for working on the 2.6 (and 
onwards) kernels?

Thanks.

Nick Piggin wrote:
> 
> 
> Amir Hermelin wrote:
> 
>> Hi,
>> I've recently started development on the Linux Kernel, and wondered if
>> there's any kernel-dev FAQ/Howto/online courses/etc to help me get 
>> started
>> with debugging techniques. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>>
> 
> Understanding the Linux Kernel and Linux Device Drivers (free online I
> think) are 2 good books to start with. Also www.kernelnewbies.org.
> 
> 
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Re: Developing Kernel Code newbie

[Nick Piggin]

Daniel Drake wrote:

> I'm in a similar situation here.. a C/C++ beginner, very keen to work 
> on  the Linux kernel.
> Those two books you mentioned, the latest editions cover the 2.4 
> series kernel. Would reading these still be useful for working on the 
> 2.6 (and onwards) kernels?


Yes.

If you are a _programming_ beginner, you're setting your sights a too high
and will probably get frustrated.

Re: Developing Kernel Code newbie

[Daniel Drake]

Nick Piggin wrote:
> If you are a _programming_ beginner, you're setting your sights a too high
> and will probably get frustrated.

I'm not a beginner to programming, been doing it since an early age. 
That said, I have very little experience of "pro" programming - I am 
still in full time education.
Still, it is definately a high target, and will take some time getting 
used to.

I wrote my first patch yesterday, very very basic but its a start! (just 
simply makes the usblp driver output its debug info into dmesg when 
CONFIG_USB_DEBUG is set).

Alan Cox wrote:
 > The kernel is cool, but it is a large piece of code with a lot of ideas
 > in it that some folks find challenging (interrupts, multiprocessing,
 > threads and locking) [One thing to be said at least the Java taught
 > university folks understand some of this unlike those they used to feed
 > pascal]
 >
 > Have fun but if you find the kernel daunting and hard work, don't give
 > up but pick up something smaller, easier to understand and use a
 > debugger on - like desktop applications, then come back and try the
 > kernel again later.

I think thats where I'm heading, thanks for the advice.



Amir: Here are a few URL's I have stored for this topic. I have yet to 
study them in detail.

http://jungla.dit.upm.es/~jmseyas/linux/kernel/hackers-docs.html
http://www.kernelnewbies.org
http://en.tldp.org/LDP/khg/HyperNews/get/khg.html

Thanks.

Re: Developing Kernel Code newbie

[Alan Cox]

On Llu, 2003-09-15 at 10:49, Daniel Drake wrote:
> I'm in a similar situation here.. a C/C++ beginner, very keen to work on 
>   the Linux kernel.
> Those two books you mentioned, the latest editions cover the 2.4 series 
> kernel. Would reading these still be useful for working on the 2.6 (and 
> onwards) kernels?

The kernel is cool, but it is a large piece of code with a lot of ideas
in it that some folks find challenging (interrupts, multiprocessing,
threads and locking) [One thing to be said at least the Java taught
university folks understand some of this unlike those they used to feed
pascal]

Have fun but if you find the kernel daunting and hard work, don't give
up but pick up something smaller, easier to understand and use a
debugger on - like desktop applications, then come back and try the
kernel again later.

Developing Kernel Code newbie

[Amir Hermelin]

Hi,
I've recently started development on the Linux Kernel, and wondered if
there's any kernel-dev FAQ/Howto/online courses/etc to help me get started
with debugging techniques. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Amir.