OReilly.Understanding.the.Linux.Kernel.3rd.Edition.pdf

Understanding the Linux Kernel, 3rd Edition
By Daniel P. Bovet, Marco Cesati
...............................................
Publisher: O'Reilly
Pub Date: November 2005
ISBN: 0-596-00565-2
Pages: 942

Table of Contents | Index
In order to thoroughly understand what makes Linux tick and why it works so well on a wide variety
of systems, you need to delve deep into the heart of the kernel. The kernel handles all interactions
between the CPU and the external world, and determines which programs will share processor time,
in what order. It manages limited memory so well that hundreds of processes can share the system
efficiently, and anizes data transfers so that the CPU isn't kept waiting any longer than
necessary for the relatively slow disks.
The third edition of Understanding the Linux Kernel takes you on a guided tour of the most
significant data structures, algorithms, and programming tricks used in the kernel. Probing beyond
superficial features, the authors offer valuable insights to people who want to know how things really
work inside their machine. Important Intel-specific features are discussed. Relevant segments of
code are dissected line by line. But the book covers more than just the functioning of the code; it
explains the theoretical underpinnings of why Linux does things the way it does.
This edition of the book covers Version , which has seen significant changes to nearly every kernel
subsystem, particularly in the areas of memory management and block devices. The book focuses on
the following topics:
Memory management, including file buffering, process swapping, and Direct memory Access
(DMA)
The Virtual Filesystem layer and the Second and Third Extended Filesystems
Process creation and scheduling
Signals, interrupts, and the essential interfaces to device drivers
Timing
Synchronization within the kernel
munication (IPC)
Program execution
Understanding the Linux Kernel will acquaint you with all the