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OS X Kernel Overview

Posted by timothy on from the well-done-online-book dept.

Don Negro writes: "Found this on Apple's Developer site. A solid overview of the OS X kernel - what bits are Mach, what bits are BSD - and a good level a detail. This is the first installment. As they say in the introduction 'Only you can prevent kernel panics.'"

4 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No kidding by TheQuantumShift · · Score: 3, Funny

    And if M$ ever put one of these out, It'd be called "Move Along, Nothing to see here..." or "All you ever wanted to know about world domination, but were afraid to ask"...

    --

    Shift happens. Fire it up.
  2. I was going to read it... by Sentry21 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I opened the link and read through the introductions, with the intent of reading. I'm a middling-to-pathetic C/C++ programmer, and I figured it might be interesting to join into the kernelnewbies project - then this came out.

    Now, I'm scared. Honestly, after reading through that introduction, I'm scared to touch kernel code. Hell, I'm scared to look at it.

    I think Apple did a great job with this document. They don't want anyone writing code unless they know EXACTLY what they're doing (the code, they say, has to be well nigh perfect), so they put in as much intimidation as they can manage without being overly conspicuous.

    The newbies will be scared, the people with no confidence (like myself; I don't remember ever compiling warningless code on the first go; if I'm writing something complex, I'll miss a }, if I'm writing Hello World I'll forget to #include) will be scared. The only people who will even think about trying their hand at kernel programming are Gods and fools.

    Good job Apple, you really know how to screw with heads. ;>

    --Dan

    1. Re:I was going to read it... by Arandir · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Now, I'm scared. Honestly, after reading through that introduction, I'm scared to touch kernel code. Hell, I'm scared to look at it.

      That's kernel code for you :-)

      You can be the best programmer in the world, know assembly/C/C++ inside and out, and all that jazz, but when you hit kernel code it's like a different reality.

      --
      A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
    2. Re:I was going to read it... by pthisis · · Score: 3, Insightful

      From Alan Cox, in the kerneltrap interview running on the front page of slashdot right now:

      Ignore everyone who tells you kernel hacking is hard, special or different. It's a large program, and bug fixing or driver tweaking can be a best starting point. It is however not magic, nor written in a secret language that only deep initiates with beards can read.

      Play with it, try things, break it horribly and enjoy yourself. I started on the networking code because it didn't work very well. Everything I knew about TCP/IP I had downloaded the same day I started hacking the net code. My first attempts were not pretty but it was *fun*.

      Sumner

      --
      rage, rage against the dying of the light