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I want to get into kernel dev, where do I start? (hexbear.net)
submitted 4 days ago by to c/technology@hexbear.net
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With Linux going the slop route, I've been thinking of switching to NetBSD which says (so far) they won't admit AI-generated code. I even tried making the switch earlier today, but it doesn't support my wifi card, so I want to be able to write a diver for it. I've done a little bit of osdev and worked some on emulators, so I think I have the ability, just not the knowledge yet. How do I get immersed in the code? Do I just pick a source file and start reading? I am decent with C code, so that's not a huge concern for me, I don't think.

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[–] 3 points 3 days ago (1 child)

great comment. what do you mean by "the problem of user-space"? i understand that linux is "just" a kernel where something like FreeBSD is an OS where both sides are developed in harmony so to speak. do you think GNU userland not fit for purpose or see it as under similar threat as the kernel? would love to hear more of your thoughts.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

    Userland (whether GNU or alternatives) is vulnerable to the same pressures. The only thing unique about the Linux kernel is that it is indespensible (hence the existential dread). A lot of major projects have already embraced the same LLM-driven development process as Linux (though it is particularly egregious in Linux). Aside from the kernel, the task of putting together a slop-free distribution today is very challenging (nothing like this exists, except for some highly experimental and incomplete projects like Hyperbola). It requires the sacrifice of a lot of tools which we have grown accustomed to. It is something like a regression to the state of free software computing 20 years ago.

    The same problem applies to the BSDs, because even if the base system is clean (say, if NetBSD maintains the status quo, or embraces an explicit no AI policy going forward), people rely on ports (packages) to do anything serious with their computers, which are the same programs people run on Linux. Your web browsers, text editors, window managers, word processors, password managers, graphic design tools, etc. Also a lot of plumbing falls into this category, like system libraries, image/video/audio codecs, programming languages, build systems, databases, webservers, middleware, etc.

    You can have your perfectly slop-free operating system with new drivers to leverage the latest hardware, but you're still stuck with no alternative to Firefox.

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