I have been a web developer since a year (mainly worked on php, python, mysql html/xhtml, css, jscript) and worked on wordpress, appengine and Django.. I am not a quite good web developer because i dont like web development that too much.. i love open source technologies and i would love to contribute in one.. as i am a student right now, i think it would be much easy for me to switch to the domain which actually interests me..

what i think about kernel development is that it is quite vast and it is not possible to understand all of it in a short period of time... please correct me if i am wrong.. my area of interest in computer networks and and programming close to hardware...

I believe you people can help me. Please give me suggestions.. i have seen Linux kernel is one of the mentoring organization in Google Summer Of Code so I am sure enough the i can make it in kernel development if i get good guidance...

Please advice me where too start from. I know some C programming and I will code more and get more expertise. I am in search of something similar to >>"Getting Started"<< link for Linux Kernel Development.

Well I don't think there's such a thing. First of all, getting more practice with coding in ISO C is probably a good idea. Go for it

Then, if you're a student, maybe your school offers some practica and the like around the linux kernel? I once had the assignment of implementing a harddisk powermanagement algorithm for the old linux IDE driver and although not being THAT useful nowadays, it was fun and surely helps getting to know the kernel a little better

If you plan to get your own code into linux mainline ... this could become a little hard. First, there are some quality requirements ... "intrusive" code is likely to be rejected. second, there ARE also politics and after all, linus and his "pals" aren't always "nice guys" just google for con kolivas (and ingo molnar as opponent...)

1 members found this post helpful.

Buy a copy of "Understanding the Linux Kernel", and if you're still interested after that, you'll know what to do.

and
see this too:
http://lkml.org/
http://www.tux.org/lkml/

@zirias: thanks for your tips but as you said "linus and his "pals" aren't always "nice guys"", does this mean that it would take me considerably long time to get into kernel development.. may be you can suggest me with some good strategy to overcome this difficulty..

@GooseYArd: thanks for suggesting the book.. i am sure enough that i can get a copy from my college library and start off with that.

@anishakaul: thanks for the link of mailing list archive and especially for the mailing list FAQs

1 members found this post helpful.

You are most welcome

You shall get the answer to this question once you read the FAQ till end.

@anishakaul: one of the longest FAQ i have ever seen.. will take some time but will finish it first..

Well I'd say -- start hacking the kernel for yourself, get experience on your own Then, when you really think you have done something that should go into mainline, test your code extensively, benchmark it etc -- and think about benefits and possible side-effects before proposing it.

If it's a big change, split it in parts where each part just changes one "functional unit". If it is something you already know the linux maintainers don't like the concept -- either prepare to maintain a patchset outside the linux kernel or drop the idea

1 members found this post helpful.