From: "Avery Fay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Getting started (hacking that is)
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2001 17:02:49 -0500
> I am interested in contributing code to the FreeBSD project, specifically
> the kernel but I am not opposed to helping out with user applications if
> they are in dire need of improvements. To preface my request for assistance,
> I should tell everyone that I am young (18) without extensive programming
> experience although I have held two jobs programming in C and feel fairly
> comfortable doing so. Although I've never worked on a kernel I am currently
> reading "The Design and Implementation of the 4.4BSD OS" and "Modern
> Operating Systems: Design and Implementation" so hopefully I have a rough
> understanding of the theory.
It sounds like you're reading all the right stuff, anyway! Don't
worry about your age or lack of experience - we all had to start
somewhere. :) We all also weren't fortune enough to have complete
source code for some of the OSes we wished to modify, so you're
already starting well ahead of the curve. It's a good time to be
learning about operating systems.
> I have heard that writing or improving device drivers if one of the easier
> methods to introduce oneself to kernel programming. Unfortunately (or
> fortunately I guess), all of my hardware works with FreeBSD. I guess my
I'm not sure writing a device driver is the best place to _start_,
though it's certainly something which will acquaint you with many
different parts of the OS. If you can actually get a driver written
to the point where it probes and talks to a piece of hardware (if only
on a rudimentary basis) then you've come pretty far. To begin with,
however, you may wish to look through the PR database and find a
relatively small problem to work on. That will truly get you into the
areas of FreeBSD which need attention (thus making a valuable
contribution) and allow you to learn along the way without taking on a
big challenge which may prove intimidating.
If you're really keen to do a device driver, and I certainly wouldn't
want to discourage you if that's your bent, then you might consider
working on something like a sound card or helping Cameron Grant with
his generic mixing/effects audio framework. There are also a number
of USB peripherals which need support, but that's jumping in at the
deep end.
Good luck!
- Jordan
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