From owner-freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Sep 5 22:40:14 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 817C216A4DA for ; Tue, 5 Sep 2006 22:40:14 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from duane@dwpc.dwlabs.ca) Received: from smtpout.eastlink.ca (smtpout.eastlink.ca [24.222.0.30]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F333143D46 for ; Tue, 5 Sep 2006 22:40:07 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from duane@dwpc.dwlabs.ca) Received: from ip02.eastlink.ca ([24.222.10.10]) by mta01.eastlink.ca (Sun Java System Messaging Server 6.2-4.03 (built Sep 22 2005)) with ESMTP id <0J55005I45IZLCT0@mta01.eastlink.ca> for freebsd-doc@freebsd.org; Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:37:47 -0300 (ADT) Received: from blk-224-199-230.eastlink.ca (HELO dwpc.dwlabs.ca) ([24.224.199.230]) by ip02.eastlink.ca with ESMTP; Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:40:06 -0300 Received: from dwpc.dwlabs.ca (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by dwpc.dwlabs.ca (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id k85MYiNO094968 for ; Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:34:44 -0300 (ADT envelope-from duane@dwpc.dwlabs.ca) Received: (from duane@localhost) by dwpc.dwlabs.ca (8.13.6/8.13.6/Submit) id k85MYiFI094967 for freebsd-doc@freebsd.org; Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:34:44 -0300 (ADT envelope-from duane) Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 19:34:44 -0300 From: Duane Whitty To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Message-id: <20060905223444.GA33935@dwpc.dwlabs.ca> MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-disposition: inline X-BrightmailFiltered: true X-Brightmail-Tracker: AAAAAQAAA+k= User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i Subject: man pages and handbooks X-BeenThere: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Documentation project List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 22:40:14 -0000 I've been spending a lot of time recently reading how SMP works, kernel threads, SA/KSE, callouts, the differences between SCHED_4BSD and SCHED_ULE, locking, caches, etc. I've still got a lot to learn and a lot to actually start trying to apply in code. I've often thought this might be easier if some of the great material available in the man pages was perhaps streamlined into the evolving FreeBSD Architecture Handbook. This is just my opinion of course and those of you with more experience than me may have good reasons for not doing so. Barring any objections from the community in general and the DOC project comitters in particular I would like to volunteer to start adding some material from the man pages into the FreeBSD Architecture Handbook. My first targets would be integrating the material on mutex(9), mtx_*(9), pthread_*(9), lock*(9), atomic_*(9), sched_4bsd(4), and sched_ule(4) into the material already present in the handbook. I would also like to try my hand at creating diagrams to illustrate the data structures used in our kernel code. Obviously as I learn more I will probably find more material which would be interesting to have integrated as well. Because of the time an ongoing project like this would take, would I be correct that doing this for the 7.X branch would be the most practical course of action and then MFCing where applicable and time allowing? I hope this raises some interest because I am sure that during the review process many misconceptions on my part about how things work would be brought to light and maybe help some additional future developers as well. Best Regards, Duane Whitty