hi, I am a fresh man, and I am very interesting in linux kernel programing. I want to ask a question that how can I access this programing easily and effectively.

Thanks for all of you!

2 members found this post helpful.

I recommend the Linux Kernel Newbies website. If you're new to Linux, better check out the Introduction to Linux and Linux.com and perhaps the Introduction to Linux first.

The Linux kernel uses the C (not C++) programming language; unless you are familiar with it, you won't be able to get much out of the source code. Please don't ask the kernel developers to teach you C, that would be extremely rude.

The C source for the Linux kernel is available at kernel.org. The gitweb link will show you the latest changes applied; click the tree link to browse the entire source code tree.

Various distributions like Debian, Ubuntu and Fedora use a specific version of the Linux kernel, with a number of "patches" applied. These patches are also available, but from the distribution itself; they are mostly bug fixes and sometimes new device drivers backported to work on the "older" kernel used by the distribution. Distributions do this "stabilization" work in order for users to get all bug fixes, but otherwise as few changes as possible. (This is actually quite beneficial for all, including users: we get rapid development from the vanilla kernel developers, and also stabilization and bug fixes from the distribution kernel maintainers!)

You might get most benefits for yourself by first installing a user-friendly Linux distribution such as Ubuntu on your computer. Personally, I use Xubuntu, but do pick whichever you feel best suited for you. There is a large list of Linux distributions at Distrowatch.com. Then, after familiarizing yourself with it, install the linux-source package (name might vary in other distributions), to get the kernel source code for the kernel version you're running.

You can also install Linux easily in a virtual machine; personally I use VirtualBox. (It's best installed via the distribution's own package manager, just like almost all software. Don't ask me how to use it in Windows; it don't touch that stuff.) With a virtual machine running a Linux distribution, and either another virtual machine or your "real" workstation running the same distribution, you can make changes to the kernel sources, recompile it in minutes, install the new kernel into a virtual machine, and run your customized kernel, without ever rebooting your computer, and never interrupting your work flow.

Although Linux is open and free, don't expect it (especially the kernel) to be simple. If you want to really understand and work with it, you'll have to invest a lot of time learning it. (To be honest, you'll probably spend more time initially in "un-learning" stuff, in learning that there are multiple ways to do things - and the way you do it with Windows is often not the best way to do it in Linux.) In my experience the time is well worth the effort, though

Nominal Animal

1 members found this post helpful.

Thank you very very much!

Eh? Is it really possible for ONE person to understand what, 20 years of work, by probably thousands of people??!!

Why don't you just design your OWN OS, gschen?

0 members found this post helpful.

This is correct, but requires a clarification. The language is neither C89 (ANSI "C"), nor C99, but GNU dialect of "C". I.e. to compile Linux kernel one needs 'gcc' and not just any standards compliant "C" compiler.

2 members found this post helpful.

simple example for driver programming
http://people.ee.ethz.ch/~arkeller/l...ace_howto.html

---------- Post added 01-13-11 at 09:12 AM ----------

simple example for driver programming
http://people.ee.ethz.ch/~arkeller/l...ace_howto.html

Right. Some compilers (Intel Compiler Collection and Open64) are GCC-compatible enough to compile a working kernel, but it is not recommended at all; there might be bugs nobody has noticed yet in the end result. And development versions of GCC often fail to build a working kernel.

You should use the stable GCC version that your Linux distribution provides to compile the kernel. It should be what the distribution maintainers have used to compile the distribution kernel. On Debian (and variants like Ubuntu), you can use the make-kpkg script (part of kernel-package) to build installable kernel packages with just one command. (You don't have to use the distribution sources or patches, it works fine with kernel sources downloaded from kernel.org.)

If you are unsure, the file Documentation/Changes in the Linux kernel sources describes the versions of tools needed to compile the kernel on Linux; those, or any later stable (not development or beta) versions should be okay, unless the file says otherwise. There is also Documentation/HOWTO to help aspiring kernel developers further along.

Nominal Animal

IIRC there was a case that even the released 'gcc' failed to compile Linux kernel.