Re: Linux API developer documentation

From: Edward Diener (eldiener_no_spam_here_at_earthlink.net)
Date: 04/08/05 

Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 18:58:06 GMT

Peter T. Breuer wrote:
> Edward Diener <eldiener_no_spam_here@earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Peter T. Breuer wrote:
>>> Edward Diener <eldiener_no_spam_here@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Where does one normally find the documentation to the core
>>>> functions of the Linux API ?
>>>
>>>
>>> What "Linux API"? Eh? If you are compiling C, look at the manpages
>>> of the library yu are compiling against. At the very least, that
>>> will include all the libc chapter!
>>
>> Are you telling me that there is no Linux API for calling functions
>
> I am telling you that I don't have much of an idea what you mean by
> such a form of words (and therefore neither do you). To be
> particular, what is there to do with "linux" in calling
> posix-standard functions in libc?
>
> That seems to me to be what you are really talking about, although you
> are using strange words.
>
> To elaborate, all operating systems have levels which isolate the user
> and applications from the kernel (which is "linux"). The posix
> standard library interface is implemented in libc. In any man page
> you will see something like:
>
> CONFORMING TO
> SVr4, SVID, POSIX, X/OPEN, BSD 4.3 , ...
>
> But whatever your library implements is between you and it.
>
>> which deal with basic operating system services ?
>
> Languages will likely be written in C and will provide their own
> hooks, probably via libc, to whatever kernel-level system calls libc
> is hiding. If you want to look up the posix standard C interface in
> libc, well, "man" really is your friend! But any book would do just
> as well.

Thanks for the info.