Date: Mon, 26 May 2014 21:03:46 -0400 From: Jerry McAllister <jerrymc@msu.edu> To: by <free7by@yahoo.com> Cc: freebsd-hackers <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: How to get familiar with a system Message-ID: <20140527010346.GA39761@jerrymc.net> In-Reply-To: <53816258.6030703@yahoo.com> References: <53816258.6030703@yahoo.com>
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On Sun, May 25, 2014 at 11:24:08AM +0800, by via freebsd-hackers wrote: > Hi, > > I really want to get familiar with an operating system, and i am using > FreeBSD 10 RELEASE on an i386 machine now, but the problem is how to > start, or i would say, what methods can be used to uncover the secret of > an operating system? > > Cause i have install the source code on my machine, i have tried to hack > the basic utilities one by one, like echo, ls, cat, etc. But i find i > work too slow, and i can not find the exciting experience i have got > before for resolving a problem. I know people can not dive into every > detail, just one deeply dig is okay. But i find i have no motion now, > may be i need a project : ) Maybe I ahve missed some earlier post[s] on this. You say you installed the 'source code' of FreeBSD on a machine. Did you install a running system on a machine and boot it up, etc? I would think that would be the first thing to do. Then start doing things. Read about 4.3 BSD. There is a good book by that name available. Then try and make some sort of block or flow diagram for it. Then learn the kernel, especially the scheduler and interrupt handler. If you get that under your hat, you will be ready to work on almost everything. Good luck, Have fun, ////jerry > And i know my skill is too poor to be a system programmer, at least i > hope i can be one : ) So anyone who already has familiar with an > operating system could share some ideas? > Everyone must has a beginning, and everyone has everyone's own ideas to > hack, but as a new comer, i still hope to get some ideas. > I know this is not a very specific questions, so i have not search the > mailing list to find some related answers, or i just want to interact > with hackers rather than the history papers as a question like this, i > hope this is not too rude : ) > Maybe because of the environment i live, i find it is not as easy as you > to get so many chances to practice, or just because of my lack of > courage. Maybe i should start up a company to push myself to work on > this, or i just need a related job and do my own hacks. I do not know > how to do. > Maybe i need a plan, actually, i have just planed for some book reading > everyday, i would say, there are three books, which are C related, UNIX > related, and of course FreeBSD related. I read these three books > everyday but just a little, i know my poor English and poor ability for > solving problems make my slow reading, and i know i make those three > books as dictionaries, and i think they are, and i know after i finish > the slow reading, when i get some problems in the future, i can get > benefits from this slow reading, and find related solving ways quickly > from these three books. But i know hackers should do some real things > not just for theories related. Maybe i really need to involve myself > into a small, real, project, any suggestion? > Well, i feel it is very stupid for asking questions like this, but i > know i really need this. > Actually the final problem is how to recognize this world, from a small, > simple point, or from the universe view? > : ) > > - by > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-hackers-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"
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