Examples? The whole thing is an example! [LWN.net]

Examples? The whole thing is an example!

Posted Nov 9, 2006 6:56 UTC (Thu) by xoddam (subscriber, #2322)
In reply to: OSDL to fund a kernel tech writer by MisterIO
Parent article: OSDL to fund a kernel tech writer

> it lacks examples of coding drivers and core kernel components.

WTF? *Every* driver is an example driver!!!!

> this site too,that is the best site about Linux on the Net,
> should have code examples,real code examples,
> and not only updates of the kernel api and the kernel structure.

Really, the place for the example code is LKML. LWN is excellent at
linking to the relevant patches in the list archives.

It's Free Software dude, the whole thing is the example!

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Examples? The whole thing is an example!

Posted Nov 9, 2006 16:47 UTC (Thu) by iabervon (subscriber, #722) [Link]

Actual drivers are notoriously full of things that seemed like a good idea when they were written, but we know better now, and things that weren't even good at the time, but nobody looked too closely. It would be useful to have *good* example drivers. (And, of course, a maintainer for them, because example drivers are even more likely to stick with out-of-date practices, since they don't get thoroughly tested and updated, due to not actually doing anything.)

Examples? The whole thing is an example!

Posted Nov 9, 2006 22:57 UTC (Thu) by k8to (subscriber, #15413) [Link]

I was about to make the point that example drivers are always even worse, and then you made it for me.

It would be great if somone was hard at working crafting and maintaining code and text designed to show people the ropes of kernel work, but that someone had better lean as heavily as possible on existing known-to-minimize errors techniques.

Examples? The whole thing is an example!

Posted Nov 10, 2006 1:13 UTC (Fri) by xoddam (subscriber, #2322) [Link]

The best we can possibly do in this department is to maintain working
code properly and update it to conform with best practice. As far as I'm
aware this is exactly the job that most kernel developers already do.

Sure, not every part of the kernel is up-to-the-minute. But I promise
you that code which is used by millions of people and looked after by
several responsive developers is in better shape than any dusty 'example'
on a website or in a book that doesn't push bits around for the general
public.

Examples? The whole thing is an example!

Posted Nov 10, 2006 20:19 UTC (Fri) by rgoates (subscriber, #3280) [Link]

How about designating specific drivers and other pieces of kernel code as examples worth emulating? Kernel hackers and driver writers can discuss/argue the merits and come to some decision about which pieces of code most deserve to be examples. I personally would greatly appreciate having such direction.