Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S261469AbTHYDji (ORCPT ); Sun, 24 Aug 2003 23:39:38 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S261482AbTHYDjh (ORCPT ); Sun, 24 Aug 2003 23:39:37 -0400 Received: from dsl092-053-140.phl1.dsl.speakeasy.net ([66.92.53.140]:51333 "EHLO grelber.thyrsus.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S261469AbTHYDjN (ORCPT ); Sun, 24 Aug 2003 23:39:13 -0400 From: Rob Landley Reply-To: rob@landley.net To: "Randy.Dunlap" , Daniel Pezoa Subject: Re: patches question Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 01:16:18 -0400 User-Agent: KMail/1.5 Cc: hahn@physics.mcmaster.ca, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org References: <20030820155956.67452.qmail@web11201.mail.yahoo.com> <20030820093347.4f024a89.rddunlap@osdl.org> In-Reply-To: <20030820093347.4f024a89.rddunlap@osdl.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200308240116.18764.rob@landley.net> Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 10710 Lines: 263 Speaking of which, here's the FAQ update patch I sent Richard last month, just in case anybody else finds it useful... -------------------- Well, here it is. I ended up completely redoing the section, sorting the data into some kind of order, marking deprecated links (stuff referring to 2.0, etc) and moving them to the end, grouping similar entries, adding new ones, and updating an awful lot of stale links that have moved since the FAQ was last updated. I could try giving you a more gradual series of changes, but I'm about to hit the road for a while so I thought I'd send what I have. Let me know if you want me to explain/tweak anything, but keep in mind I might not read my email for a week at a time... Rob --- index.html 2003-06-10 19:17:05.000000000 -0400 +++ lk-faq.html 2003-06-17 13:02:45.000000000 -0400 @@ -174,107 +174,142 @@

Basic Linux kernel documentation

-The following are Linux kernel related documents, which you +The following are Linux kernel related documents, which you should take a look at before you post to the linux-kernel mailing list: +
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  • -
  • - -The Linux Kernel Hackers' Guide, -compiled by Michael K. Johnson of Red Hat fame. Includes among other -documents selected Q/A's from the linux-kernel mailing list. +The Linux Documentation Project is a comprehensive resource for Linux documentation, including guides, HOWTOs, man pages, FAQs, tutorials... The LDP includes several particularly +interesting resources, including: +
      +
    • The Linux Kernel HOWTO by Brian Ward is required reading before posting to linux-kernel. It explains how to compile, install, and run a Linux kernel.
      • - -
    • - -The Linux Kernel -book, by David A. Rusling, available in various formats from the -Linux Documentation Project -and mirrors. -Still being worked on, but explains clearly the main structure of the -Linux kernel. +
    • Robert Kiesling's The Linux FAQ is about the Linux Kernel and OS (not the linux-kernel mailing list).
      • +
    • The Linux Development Projects page is a good index of other Linux resources available on the internet. +
      • +
  • -The Linux FAQ -by Robert Kiesling has many high quality Q/A's. +The Linux kernel source code for each kernel version comes with +built-in technical documentation. + +
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    • The Documentation directory holds an large number of useful text +files about drivers, subsystems, locking rationale, coding style, etc. The +index file for them is Documentation/00-INDEX, although it doesn't list +everything. You will probably want to start by reading Changes, CodingStyle, +SubmittingPatches, SubmittingDrivers, and BUG-HUNTING.
      • +
    • A few important documentation files (including MAINTAINERS, README, and REPORTING-BUGS) live at the root of the linux-kernel source tree, not in the Documentation subdirectory.
      • +
    • Recent kernel versions also have DocBook documentation built into +the source tree, in specially formatted comments. Typing "make +htmldocs"at the top of the linux kernel tree (or "make pdfdocs", +or "make psdocs,") will generate the selected documentation format in +the Documentation/DocBook directory. (There is still a lot of non-docbook +documentation in the source code. Conversion of these comments to +DocBook is ongoing, but reading the source will always be a good idea.)
      • +
    • -
  • -The Linux -Kernel HOWTO by Brian Ward. Fundamental reading for anybody -wanting to post to the linux-kernel mailing list. +
  • An invaluable resource for anyone who doesn't know where to start reading +through the Linux kernel source code is Linux Kernel 2.4 Internals by Tigran Aivazian.
    • -
  • -A completely new Kernelhacking-HOWTO at -http://www.kernelhacking.org/. -Currently work in progress, but already contains some useful information. +
  • To bring yourself up to speed on the differences between 2.4 and 2.5/2.6, +read Jonathan Corbet's Porting +device drivers to 2.5, a 30 article series for Linux Weekly News.
    • -
  • -Various Linux -HOWTOs -on specific questions, such as the - -BogoMips mini-HOWTO by Wim van Dorst. These are all by -definition LDP documents. +
  • Mel Gorman's Virtual +memory Guides are useful to anyone learning that subsystem. (Read +the "understanding" guide first, then "coding".)
  • -The Linux kernel source code for any particular kernel version -that you may be using. Note that there is a /Documentation directory -which holds some very useful text files about drivers, etc. Also check -the MAINTAINERS file in the kernel source root directory. +Another useful site is: +http://www.kernelnewbies.org/
  • -Some drivers even have Web pages, with additional up to date -information e.g. the network drivers -by Donald Becker, etc. Check the Hardware section in the -LDP site. +A google search is often the easiest way to find specialized web pages, +mailing lists, or documentation for specific hardware, +such as the +network drivers by Donald Becker, or specific CPU architectures, +such as the Alpha Linux website for +running Linux on the Alpha processor. They're out there if you look for +them.
  • -Similarly, Linux implementations for some CPU architectures have -dedicated Web pages, mailing lists, and sometimes even a HOWTO -e.g. the Linux Alpha -HOWTO by Neal Crook. Check the LDP site and its mirrors for -Web links to the various architecture specific sites. +Here is a general guide on +how to ask smart +questions in a way that greatly improves your chances +of getting a reply. If you have a bug to report, you should also read this +paper on how to +report bugs effectively, then read the specific +Linux-kernel bug reporting instructions. +
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+ +
    +
  • +A few books that might help you get up to speed +with the Linux kernel include: +
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    • -Linux device drivers, a book written by Alessandro -Rubini. C. Scott Ananian reviewed -it for Amazon.com. +The complete text of Linux device drivers, by Alessandro Rubini +and Jonathan Corbet is +available online, +or from your local bookstore.
    • -Linux kernel internals, a book by Michael Beck (Editor) et al. Also reviewed for Amazon.com. +Linux kernel internals, +a book by Michael Beck (Editor) et al., is available from Amazon.com. The version linked to covers the 2.4.4 kernel.
    • -Another useful site is: -http://www.kernelnewbies.org/ +The ia-64 Linux Kernel Book may be useful to people working on +64 bit platforms. It has a homepage.
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+ + +

Some older documentation is also available on the web, although it may +be somewhat out of date. + +

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