Linux kernel/os source code documentation?

Question

Is there a Linux distro (other than Minix) with good documentation for the source code? Or, is there some good documentation to describe the general Linux source code?

I have downloaded the Kernel source code, but, it is (unsurprisingly) a little overwhelming to find my way around and I wondered if there were some higher-level documentation to go with how the Linux kernel works?

Answer 1

你有没有试过看一下linux文档项目我发现它在linux上悄然详尽无遗它们有一个部分Linux Kernel是一本在线书籍，它解释了linux内核如何工作以及为什么它在某些方面的行为，你应该一定要深入研究它，因为它制作精良。

Answer 2

Some of the Linux kernel code has decent commenting as documentation, but if you're going to be getting into kernel development, I'd recommend picking up a good book. A good, relatively easy-to-read one is Linux Kernel Development , by Robert Love. I got started on the Second Edition when I was in college, and keep a copy of the third on my bookshelf now.

I also find the Linux Cross Reference site helpful in jumping around the kernel source code. It's nice for tracking down functions that are in different files, and getting at what you need.

Answer 3

If you want to learn about operating systems and their basics, I strongly suggest you to start with a small kernel and then ramp up to learn about Linux. Starting with an operating system like Linux would be overwhelming in terms of code and documentation.

There is XV6 operating system which follows the basic Unix notion of files and processes. You can get the code listing and the documentation explaining the code properly. Here is a link to it. link .

Since academia is using this course as a baseline, I think you should get good support for understanding the same.

Answer 4

For something which is not obsolete (like kernel.org/doc is), you may see:

• Free Electrons Linux/Documentation/ (3.8)
• Linux Cross Reference kernel/Documentation/
• kernel-doc (3.6.10)

The first is the one I prefer personally (clean, readable, pleasant, up‑to‑date).

The second is the most well known.

The third, is for download, if you wish to browse and search it off‑line (may be handy in some case).

My two cents as a side note before I leave: I feel it's weird how for such a famous stuff as the Linux kernel is, when you search the web for documentation, you get masses of obsolete documentations, and how the rather up‑to‑date ones seems to be rather hidden and far from the top position of search engines.

Answer 5

Linux核心内核评论有点过时，但仍然是一个很好的信息来源。