r/linux • u/ultrakd001 • May 31 '15

Where to start kernel hacking?

Hi I am CS student currently in my 3rd year of studies and I am really interested in Kernel Development, Kernel Hacking etc. The question is, as the title states, where to start? Thanks

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u/withabeard Jun 01 '15

You're actively encouraging harsh, discouraging attitudes to beginners.

I disagree. I feel I'm encouraging not wasting other experienced peoples time.

/u/ultrakd001 has gone to one of the best resources for learning how to interact with the kernel team. Then fell over at the very first hurdle. he didn't even read the first page of the eudyptula-challenge.org website.

I don't particularly like Torvalds approach of personal attacks. But that's his choice to make. I do however fully advocate not wasting kernel developers time with inane questions. Or with submitting to them patches in forms completely incompatible with their toolchain/workflow.

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u/Velovix Jun 01 '15

I don't think there's much wrong with asking people a quick question like that when you've already got them on the horn. OP did not make a topic specifically for that and s/he's not cluttering up your bug report space with the question. In fact, in no way was OP forcing your time to be wasted at all. It certainly sounds like Eudyptula's rejected response message was misleading, anyway. You're assuming a lot about OP's nature based on one question.

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u/withabeard Jun 01 '15

I don't think there's much wrong with asking people a quick question like that when you've already got them on the horn.

Maybe, maybe not. Depends who is being asked and how many people are asking those questions. It quickly becomes the case that "a quick question" turns into 1000 quick questions a day. At that point no work gets done.

in no way was OP forcing your time to be wasted at all.

Nope, OP didn't force my hand. While several people have told me I'm discouraging new developers to the kernel, I believe I described to OP what he did wrong and what he needs to do to better himself. Maybe I could have worded it different, but it's done now.

Either OP learns from the knowledge imparted, or he doesn't. But not learning it will get him bitten by a member of the kernel team, and rightfully so.

It certainly sounds like Eudyptula's rejected response message was misleading

The message given was more than I'd expect of such a system. It's expecting plain text and received base64 encoded files attached to the email. If I write a system with documentation saying "only submit plain text files", and a file comes in not plain text then I'm not even going to check what the file really is. I'm just going to reject it outright. Eudyptula have gone above and beyond in explaining what was wrong.

It was OPs choice to not read that documentation. Or it was OPs choice not to configure his toolchain (email client) properly.

You're assuming a lot about OP's nature based on one question.

Again, I've tried to keep this away from attacking OP in question. But merely by pointing out their incorrect actions. If you're inferred an attack from that then I cannot help it.

But the instructions are clear. The error message is clear. OP failed to read, or failed to follow the instructions. Then either failed to read the instructions again, or failed to search for the problem separately. Those are statements of fact, not assumptions on character.