The following message is a courtesy copy of an article
that has been posted to comp.os.linux.development.system as well.
Yes kernel fans, it's Gary's nag-the-kernel-list time once again.
November 1 is "Dia de Muertos", the Day of the Dead, the time for
visiting tombstones and honouring our ancestors. A time when the dead
and gone can live through the words and deeds of the living.
The November 2000 KernelWiki Challenge is ...
"The _____ in the _____ subsystem implements the old _____."
1) Fill in the blanks, short and sweet, in your own words.
2) Go to http://kernelbook.sourceforge.net/wiki/?KernelWiki and find
the KernelWiki page covering your area of expertise.
3) Click the "Edit this Page" link
4) Plunk your November KernelWiki response into the text box.
5) Click "Save" and get back to your happy hacking.
It's painless. All I want is 10 minutes of your time. You know you
know the answers, and if you don't, you know the proper questions to
ask. I don't know how I can make it any easier. 10 minutes, 15 tops.
It takes longer to flame me for nagging, and contributing is more
positive.
No excuses. _Everyone_ has that kind of time to spare for Linux
documentation. There are hundreds of competent engineers active on
this list. One day's worth of our collective linux-kernel effort,
focused precisely on illuminating some part of the code, would
complete several chapters of text. A week's worth would fill a
thousand pages.
What do you win? Do it right, and you might cause that "transmission
of light" which nets you assistance in your kernel hacking. What
goes around, comes around. 'Karma' means 'action'.
WARNING: I am going to persist in nagging you to participate, but no
more than once a month ;) Chide me, ignore me, put me in your kill
file if you will but the KernelWiki _is_ working.
KernelWiki is a smash hit. KernelWiki is an overnight success.
KernelWiki has exceeded all expectations. KernelWiki is the latest
craze, the subject of folk songs and Paris fashions. Be the first in
your network segment to KernelWiki!
If you have more than 15 minutes to spare and you are interested in what
it is that I'm up to with this KernelWiki thing, you are invited to read
http://kernelbook.sourceforge.net/wiki/?KernelWikiWhy
http://kernelbook.sourceforge.net/wiki/?KernelWikiPolicies
http://kernelbook.sourceforge.net/wiki/?HowToUseWiki
The diligent are invited to cruise KernelWiki for question marks
and click the mark to describe the undefined term. KernelWiki
depends on your kind contributions.
See you in December ;)
--
Gary Lawrence Murphy <[email protected]>: office voice/fax: 01 519 4222723
T(!c)Inc Business Innovation through Open Source http://www.teledyn.com
M:I-3 - Documenting the Linux kernel: http://kernelbook.sourceforge.net
"My humanity is bound up in yours; we can only be human together"(Tutu)
Gary,
Your post to the kernel mailing list is annoyingly patronizing, and _will_
get you flamed and added to kill files as a result. On the other hand
working on kernel documentation is a worthy endeavor, so I would encourage
you to try an approach which shows some respect to the people who make it
all possible. To get the best, and most useful results I suggest browsing
the docs directory in the latest source tree. Then attempt to come up with
a structural model for describing the feature of the kernel to the best of
your ability. Finally, post intelligent requests to flesh out the kernel
documentation framework. An intelligent request might look like, "What is
the best way to manage event requests in the Linux kernel (version 2.2, 2.4,
2.6)?", or "In what way are Linux threads different from POSIX threads (2.2,
2.4, 2.6)?", or "How do hook in a new filesystem to the Linux kernel (2.2,
2.4, 2.6)?", or "What SMP considerations need to be made in network device
drivers?". By contrast your current approach is too annoying to accomplish
much useful.
--Jonathan--
Thank you for your thoughtful commments. I'd recommend you send such
comments directly to the author that offends you as posting to the
wide list in a vain attempt to gain yourself some status points is
only going to result in some comment that further offends you and
locks you into a flame war that will certainly consume more of your
time than simple contributing to the KernelWiki project. Of course,
some people are not concerned about spending their time
constructively.
Ooops, did I post that publically? Well, it can always serve as a
bad example ;)
--
Gary Lawrence Murphy <[email protected]>: office voice/fax: 01 519 4222723
T(!c)Inc Business Innovation through Open Source http://www.teledyn.com
M:I-3 - Documenting the Linux kernel: http://kernelbook.sourceforge.net
"You don't play what you know; you play what you hear." --- Miles Davis