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Software Linux

The Interactive Linux Kernel Map 93

Constantine writes "The Linux kernel is one of most complex open source projects. Even though there are a lot of books on the Linux kernel, it is still a difficult subject to comprehend. The interactive Linux kernel map gives you a top-down view of the kernel. You can see the most important layers, functionalities, modules, functions, and calls. Each function on the map is a link to its source code. The map is interactive. You can zoom in and drag around to see details."
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The Interactive Linux Kernel Map

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  • Re:What a farce (Score:5, Insightful)

    by warrior_s ( 881715 ) * <kindle3@NospaM.gmail.com> on Saturday June 28, 2008 @07:33PM (#23985889) Homepage Journal
    No one will try to learn linux from this map. I think of it as a quick guide to see how the control passes from one function to other within the kernel. E.g., if you want to trace how a network packet is transferred from one function to the other, just start from the bottom of the networking portion (device drivers) and follow it to the top (socket call).
    This will help those who already have a basic understanding of the linux kernel and are trying to find something quickly.

    Oh and it looks cool too :).
  • Re:What a farce (Score:5, Insightful)

    by mrbluze ( 1034940 ) on Saturday June 28, 2008 @07:50PM (#23985999) Journal

    However, I RTFA, such as it is, but come away only with the belief that this is a further effort to make the OS look much more obscure and cryptic than any OS actually is.

    I don't do much OS level programming at all, but I would say this diagram is very useful. If I just, for example, want to get a sketchy idea of how networking is arranged in the kernel and where to look for dependencies and so forth, then it's a good start.

    It's not the best diagram I've ever seen but it's something that does make for a good page to have open during the planning stages of a project that integrates with the OS at multiple levels.

    If anyone really learns much about the Linux OS from this thing I would be amazed.

    If you click on an area it quickly takes you to relevant stuff to read. I think, spending a few hours with this, one could learn quite a lot about the system and get an idea from which end to tackle a problem. But of course it's no substitute for a book.

  • by khellendros1984 ( 792761 ) on Saturday June 28, 2008 @07:56PM (#23986033) Journal
    OSX would be doable, since Darwin (its kernel) is open-source (at least some versions). Windows would be nearly impossible to "poke around in" and come up with a map like this. You need source-code level access for this kind of detail.
  • by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 28, 2008 @08:13PM (#23986125)

    Get back to your tower of ignorance.

    Your post is rather contradictory. You say the kernel is rock solid, yet then say you have video, audio and lock-up issues, which would actually most likely be caused by kernel issues. I doubt the problems really existed, as you have been purposefully scant on details. Also, I have a few different cards from different iterations of the Sound Blaster generations and they are some of the most stable and functional sound cards under Linux, so I think this is just an oversight of your ignorance.

    Gnome isn't designed to be OS X-like. It is designed to be functional, and I feel it excels at this. Want an OS X-like desktop environment? Go design one.

    Can't set up your desktop to span multiple monitors using many of the GUI tools available, and feel the developers should change the default install to reflect your inabilities? Boo-hoo.

  • by ozmanjusri ( 601766 ) <aussie_bob@hotmail . c om> on Saturday June 28, 2008 @09:54PM (#23986751) Journal

    XP has a remarkably good support for x86 hardware

    Fixed that for you.

    Linux run on a LOT more devices than Windows can. Microsoft's a lot like Apple that way. The limited subset of computers designed for their OS are well-supported, but forget about running the OS on any exotic hardware.

    Look how long it took them to get it running on the OLPC.

  • by CaptainTux ( 658655 ) <papillion@gmail.com> on Saturday June 28, 2008 @11:08PM (#23987167) Homepage Journal
    The Linux developers are selfish dickheads who have exactly the same monopolistic mindset as Microsoft -- who also signs NDAs with vendors.

    Can you point to some of these NDA's you speak of? Because, I have to wonder how you can have an NDA on something that anyone can go to your website and download the source code for.

  • Re:What a farce (Score:2, Insightful)

    by gwniobombux ( 941420 ) on Sunday June 29, 2008 @05:34AM (#23988715)

    "Linux is evolution, not intelligent design."

    -- Linus Torvalds

    (This quote seems to be genuine [kerneltrap.org], I haven't been able to track down a reference though.)

"I've seen it. It's rubbish." -- Marvin the Paranoid Android

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