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Date:      Wed, 23 Mar 2005 19:12:00 -0800 (PST)
From:      Frank Mayhar <frank@exit.com>
To:        klowd9 - <klowd92@hotmail.com>
Cc:        freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Kernel documentation and specification
Message-ID:  <200503240312.j2O3C0qp094037@realtime.exit.com>
In-Reply-To: <BAY10-F485E01A53D1089C9F18648BF400@phx.gbl>

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klowd9 - wrote:
> >Kirk's book, ``The Design and Implementation of the FreeBSD
> >Operating System'' probably contains the answers to basic
> >questions about scheduling and IPC.
> I considered purchasing that book, which is very very good imo, but a bit 
> overpriced at $60..

Um, well, actually for a reference work, that's a reasonable price.  You
might be able to pick up a copy of the 4.4BSD demon book used, I guess.

> Any other resources about kernel development, and to whom may i speak with 
> to help me get started..

If you're really serious, buy the book.  Buy an intro Operating Systems
book as well, Andrew Tannenbaum's is good but there are others.  Grab
the FreeBSD source and start reading.  I started out in mainframes but
when I decided I wanted to do Unix kernel programming, I took a UCLA
Extension course, I bought the books that were available at the time
(some fifteen years ago, now, ghods how time flies) and when it was
finally available I got the 386bsd source, bought a 486 system, installed
it, and started mucking about.  I was fortunate enough to have access to
some SVR4 experts around then, as well.  But all this was _after_
six years of college and five or six years of a Real Job doing operating
systems work.

These days the resources are ridiculously plentiful.  There are online
resources galore, from OS class syllabi to a number of varieties of
open-source Unix.  As well as many more people who know something
about it and are willing to answer reasonable, intelligent questions.

But don't expect anyone to hold your hand and _don't_ expect anyone to
do the work for you.  If you really want to learn this stuff, you will
have to invest a _lot_ of time and at least _some_ money.
-- 
Frank Mayhar frank@exit.com	http://www.exit.com/
Exit Consulting                 http://www.gpsclock.com/
                                http://www.exit.com/blog/frank/



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