On Wed, 06 Sep 2000, Linus Torvalds wrote:
> And quite frankly, I don't care. I don't think kernel development should
> be "easy". I do not condone single-stepping through code to find the bug.
> I do not think that extra visibility into the system is necessarily a good
> thing.
Okay, so you have valid args there, but if we (you) aren't going to make it
easy, what kind of concerted effort is there to entice people to work on
kernel development.. Takes a rare breed to like doing things the hard way,
and when those few new ones pop up, how do we encourage them to be kernel
gurus. Is there any sort of plan to help newbie kernel programmers to get to
the point where the Linus's and Alan's of the world will take them under
their wings?
Should this be thought of in kernel development circles? A kernel development
school? Kernel Development Courses that teach the followings of the leaders?
A manifesto? A book about 'So you want to be a Linux Kernel Programmer?'
I agree that standards have to be adhered to, and maybe only the tough should
survive, but if we agree that it shouldn't be simple, then I think it is the
obligation to figure out some other way to lend a helping hand, or we will
find the list of developers growing smaller, while the learning curve gets
ever greater. In the 0.98 days when I started, a relative newbie had a
chance to come in and follow your coding, but now the curve in getting to the
point where they can contribute effectively, and following your standards
gets ever steeper. The days where Linus himself could teach a few clerics
what he knows quickly is dissapearing.. Maybe thought should be taken not
only to the long term direction of the code, but in the long term development
of new coders.
> Apparently, if you follow the arguments, not having a kernel debugger
> leads to various maladies:
> - people have given up on Linux kernel programming because it's too hard
> and too time-consuming
> And nobody has explained to me why these are _bad_ things.
> Because I'm a bastard, and proud of it!
>
> Linus
Any general thoughts on how to keep recruiting the next generation of
bastards?
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