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The Linux Networking Stack Exposed

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the august-rules dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Linux source code is a great way to learn about the design of device drivers for a multitude of device types, including network device drivers. This article will show you the basic architecture of the Linux networking stack and dig into its interfaces for system calls, protocols, and device drivers."

22 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I doubt we're going to see any +5 funny mods in this one

    1. Re:well by JosefAssad · · Score: 5, Funny
      I doubt we're going to see any +5 funny mods in this one

      Oh yeah?

      So, a UDP connection walks into a bar and it goes up to the bartender.

      "Hi bartender, " it says to the bartender.

      "Howdy, UDP connection. What'll it be?" the bartender asks.

      "I'll have a beer please. Here's a dollar," says the UDP connection.

      The bartender takes the dollar, looks at the UDP connection, and continues wiping glasses.

      "So, what'll it be?" the bartender asks the UDP connection.

      The UDP connection forks over another dollar and orders a beer again. The bartender takes the dollar and stares expectantly at the UDP connection as he continues to wipe glasses.

      "So, what are you gonna drink, little UDP connection?" the bartender asks.

      "I would like a beer please," and the UDP connection gives the bartender yet another dollar. The bartender takes the dollar and promptly starts wiping the counter. He looks thatthe UDP connection and asks,

      "Oh, hello there. Can I get you anything?"

      "Yes please," responds the UDP connection, "I'd like a beer. Here is a dollar." And the UDP connection gives the bartender yet another dollar.

      And so on...

      --
      The Banjo Players Must Die!
    2. Re:well by weicco · · Score: 5, Funny

      And when TCP walks into the bar and asks for beer bartender opens the tap and lets beer stream... But before that they have to shake hands three times.

      --
      You don't know what you don't know.
    3. Re:well by riffzifnab · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh yeah?

      So, a UDP connection walks into a bar and it goes up to the bartender.

      "Hi bartender, " it says to the bartender.

      "Howdy, UDP connection. What'll it be?" the bartender asks.

      "I'll have a beer please. Here's a dollar," says the UDP connection.

      The bartender takes the dollar, looks at the UDP connection, and continues wiping glasses.

      "So, what'll it be?" the bartender asks the UDP connection.

      The UDP connection forks over another dollar and orders a beer again. The bartender takes the dollar and stares expectantly at the UDP connection as he continues to wipe glasses.

      "So, what are you gonna drink, little UDP connection?" the bartender asks.

      "I would like a beer please," and the UDP connection gives the bartender yet another dollar. The bartender takes the dollar and promptly starts wiping the counter. He looks thatthe UDP connection and asks,

      "Oh, hello there. Can I get you anything?"

      "Yes please," responds the UDP connection, "I'd like a beer. Here is a dollar." And the UDP connection gives the bartender yet another dollar.

      And so on... [Memento joke here]

      So I guess writing stuff down on it's arms would turn the UDP connection into a TFTP session.
    4. Re:well by flydpnkrtn · · Score: 2, Funny

      (Score:4, Funny)

      Oh how ironic

      --
      Here's to the crazy ones
    5. Re:well by kdemetter · · Score: 4, Informative

      it would be more like :

      TCP : Can i get a beer ?
      Bartender : You asked for a beer ?
      TCP : Yes i did .
      Bartender : Ok , here's the beer , that will be ...
      TCP : did you just tell me how much to pay you ?
      Bartender : yes i did .
      TCP : ok , here's ...

      and say the bartender has bad hearing ;

      TCP : Can i get a beer ?
      Bartender : You asked for a lemonade ?
      TCP : no i didn't .
      TCP : Can i get a beer ?
      Bartender : Ok , here's the beer , that will be ...
      TCP : did you just tell me how much to pay you ?
      Bartender : yes i did .
      TCP : ok , here's ...

      TCP constantly verifies that the data was received , while udp only verifies that the data was correct . udp would end up with a lemonade , drink it , and just order a beer again .

      --
      Slipping shoelaces ?
    6. Re:well by Almahtar · · Score: 2, Funny

      That is possibly the nerdiest joke I've ever heard... and it does not bode well that I not only got it but laughed at it a lot.

  2. Where's the NetBIOS? by filesiteguy · · Score: 2, Funny

    How come I don't see any references to NetBIOS in the stack?

    --
    The Kai's Semi-Updated Website Thingy
  3. Expose it, babe! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Woo! Show us your bits!!

  4. Re:OOOOhhh by A+beautiful+mind · · Score: 4, Funny

    My server is like a beautiful exotic woman. She ignores the obvious attempts to get close to her, but if you know the right ports, she opens up. Of course, she encourages security and doesn't allow unprotected remote ehm...administration.

    --
    It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
    Be yourself no matter what they say
  5. well-Stripping packets. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    "The Linux Networking Stack Exposed"

    Well the nice thing is that geeks can get their porn at work without tipping anyone off.

  6. What about Minix? by drspliff · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Personally I'd say Minix is much easier to navigate, simpler to understand and a much better starting point for new kernel developers or students to begin with (it was designed primarily as an academic project).

    I've tried digging around the Linux source code, but find a lot of it fairly confusing simply because of the amount of time and effort you have to invest in understanding the rest of it and general architecture.

    With Minix, you can pretty much jump in at any place (being very organized and well separated you can find what you're looking for fast), in 3.0 the core syscalls are separated into different files and the core kernel is only around 5000 lines which you can scan through fairly quickly.

    1. Re:What about Minix? by feld · · Score: 3, Insightful

      yeah, but learning how to write device drivers for Minix is a pretty useless skill.

      The point of this is to teach people a useful skill so they can help the Linux community. If the goal here was teaching people how to write general device drivers it wouldn't be centered around Linux.

    2. Re:What about Minix? by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Funny
      Personally I'd say Minix is much easier to navigate, simpler to understand and a much better starting point for new kernel developers

      Perhaps you should send a link to the kernel devs and suggest they emulate it...

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
    3. Re:What about Minix? by assantisz · · Score: 3, Insightful

      yeah, but learning how to write device drivers for Minix is a pretty useless skill.

      What? As long as you learn the concepts you will do just fine. And Minix is a fine example of how to study the principles and concepts of operating system design. Once you understand the basics you can go ahead and get your feet dirty in Linux, Solaris, Mac OS, Windows, whatever you like.

    4. Re:What about Minix? by CoolVibe · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hey AST, what's up? How's the wife and kids?

  7. Beg to differ by Ancient_Hacker · · Score: 2, Interesting

    IMHO the networking stack is quite uninteresting. On the bottom, it's constrained by the networking protocols and network interfaces. On the top it's constrained by the Unix and socket interfaces. That doesnt leave a whole lot of room for innovative bits in the middle.

    1. Re:Beg to differ by Slashcrap · · Score: 5, Funny

      IMHO the networking stack is quite uninteresting. On the bottom, it's constrained by the networking protocols and network interfaces.

      Yes, the Linux network stack has always been constrained by the fact that it has to handle networking.

      I contributed a series of highly innovative patches that added 3D Graphics and AJAX support to the Linux TCP/IP stack. Were those kernel developers interested? Were they fuck.

      Just another reason why Linux will continue to lag behind Windows and OSX in the innovation stakes.

  8. Re:OOOOhhh by PPH · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unfortunately, she's only virtual.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  9. When I saw this headline.... by LordPhantom · · Score: 4, Funny

    .... I became so excited I nearly had a buffer overflow!

  10. Better unexpose the stack code.... by Dareth · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... or SCO might find some "new and improved" infringements on the Unix rights they don't own.

    SCO: How do we get our hands on the code for Linux?
    Lawyer: Pay me $$$ and I will get the courts to order it handed over.
    SCO: You are such a bargain!

    --

    I only look human.
    My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
  11. Re:Unix sockets .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    An innovative bit is like a 0.8 or a 2, when everyone else is just using 1 and 0 all the time.