Linux Kernel Development (Developer's Library)

Linux Kernel Development

Third Edition

A thorough guide to the design and implementation of the Linux kernel

Robert Love

Linux Kernel Development details the design and implementation of the Linux kernel, presenting the content in a manner that is beneficial to those writing and developing kernel code, as well as to programmers seeking to better understand the operating system and become more efficient and productive in their coding.

The book details the major subsystems and features of the Linux kernel, including its design, implementation, and interfaces. It covers the Linux kernel with both a practical and theoretical eye, which should appeal to readers with a variety of interests and needs.

The author, a core kernel developer, shares valuable knowledge and experience on the 2.6 Linux kernel. Specific topics covered include process management, scheduling, time management and timers, the system call interface, memory addressing, memory management, the page cache, the VFS, kernel synchronization, portability concerns, and debugging techniques. This book covers the most interesting features of the Linux 2.6 kernel, including the CFS scheduler, preemptive kernel, block I/O layer, and I/O schedulers.

The third edition of Linux Kernel Development includes new and updated material throughout the book:

• An all-new chapter on kernel data structures
• Details on interrupt handlers and bottom halves
• Extended coverage of virtual memory and memory allocation
• Tips on debugging the Linux kernel
• In-depth coverage of kernel synchronization and locking
• Useful insight into submitting kernel patches and working with the Linux kernel community

Linux/Programming

Linux Kernel Development details the design and implementation of the Linux kernel, presenting the content in a manner that is beneficial to those writing and developing kernel code, as well as to programmers seeking to better understand the operating system and become more efficient and productive in their coding.

The book details the major subsystems and features of the Linux kernel, including its design, implementation, and interfaces. It covers the Linux kernel with both a practical and theoretical eye, which should appeal to readers with a variety of interests and needs.

The author, a core kernel developer, shares valuable knowledge and experience on the 2.6 Linux kernel. Specific topics covered include process management, scheduling, time management and timers, the system call interface, memory addressing, memory management, the page cache, the VFS, kernel synchronization, portability concerns, and debugging techniques. This book covers the most interesting features of the Linux 2.6 kernel, including the CFS scheduler, preemptive kernel, block I/O layer, and I/O schedulers.

The third edition of Linux Kernel Development includes new and updated material throughout the book:

• An all-new chapter on kernel data structures
• Details on interrupt handlers and bottom halves
• Extended coverage of virtual memory and memory allocation
• Tips on debugging the Linux kernel
• In-depth coverage of kernel synchronization and locking
• Useful insight into submitting kernel patches and working with the Linux kernel community

Robert Love is an open source programmer, speaker, and author who has been using and contributing to Linux for more than 15 years. He is currently senior software engineer at Google, where he was a member of the team that developed the Android mobile platform’s kernel. Prior to Google, he was Chief Architect, Linux Desktop, at Novell. Before Novell, he was a kernel engineer at MontaVista Software and Ximian.

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Love’s kernel projects include the preemptive kernel, the process scheduler, the kernel events layer, inotify,VM enhancements, and several device drivers.

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He has given numerous talks on and has written multiple articles about the Linux kernel and is a contributing editor for Linux Journal. His other books include Linux System Programming and Linux in a Nutshell.

1 Introduction to the Linux Kernel

2 Getting Started with the Kernel

3 Process Management

4 Process Scheduling

5 System Calls

6 Kernel Data Structures

7 Interrupts and Interrupt Handlers

8 Bottom Halves and Deferring Work

9 An Introduction to Kernel Synchronization

10 Kernel Synchronization Methods

11 Timers and Time Management

12 Memory Management

13 The Virtual Filesystem

14 The Block I/O Layer

15 The Process Address Space

16 The Page Cache and Page Writeback

17 Devices and Modules

18 Debugging

19 Portability

20 Patches, Hacking, and the Community