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Understanding the Linux Kernel, 2nd Edition

Release Date: December 2002

Pages: 784

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To thoroughly understand what makes Linux tick and why it's so efficient, you need to delve deep into the heart of the operating system--into the Linux kernel itself. The kernel is Linux--in the case of the Linux operating system, it's the only bit of software to which the term "Linux" applies. The kernel handles all the requests or completed I/O operations and determines which programs will share its processing time, and in what order. Responsible for the sophisticated memory management of the whole system, the Linux kernel is the force behind the legendary Linux efficiency. The new edition of Understanding the Linux Kernel takes you on a guided tour through the most significant data structures, many algorithms, and programming tricks used in the kernel. Probing beyond the superficial features, the authors offer valuable insights to people who want to know how things really work inside their machine. Relevant segments of code are dissected and discussed line by line. The book covers more than just the functioning of the code, it explains the theoretical underpinnings for why Linux does things the way it does. The new edition of the book has been updated to cover version 2.4 of the kernel, which is quite different from version 2.2: the virtual memory system is entirely new, support for multiprocessor systems is improved, and whole new classes of hardware devices have been added. The authors explore each new feature in detail. Other topics in the book include:

Memory management including file buffering, process swapping, and Direct memory Access (DMA)
The Virtual Filesystem and the Second Extended Filesystem
Process creation and scheduling
Signals, interrupts, and the essential interfaces to device drivers
Timing
Synchronization in the kernel
Interprocess Communication (IPC)
Program execution

Understanding the Linux Kernel, Second Edition will acquaint you with all the inner workings of Linux, but is more than just an academic exercise. You'll learn what conditions bring out Linux's best performance, and you'll see how it meets the challenge of providing good system response during process scheduling, file access, and memory management in a wide variety of environments. If knowledge is power, then this book will help you make the most of your Linux system.

Chapter 1 Introduction
1. Linux Versus Other Unix-Like Kernels
2. Hardware Dependency
3. Linux Versions
4. Basic Operating System Concepts
5. An Overview of the Unix Filesystem
6. An Overview of Unix Kernels
Chapter 2 Memory Addressing
1. Memory Addresses
2. Segmentation in Hardware
3. Segmentation in Linux
4. Paging in Hardware
5. Paging in Linux
Chapter 3 Processes
1. Processes, Lightweight Processes, and Threads
2. Process Descriptor
3. Process Switch
4. Creating Processes
5. Destroying Processes
Chapter 4 Interrupts and Exceptions
1. The Role of Interrupt Signals
2. Interrupts and Exceptions
3. Nested Execution of Exception and Interrupt Handlers
4. Initializing the Interrupt Descriptor Table
5. Exception Handling
6. Interrupt Handling
7. Softirqs, Tasklets, and Bottom Halves
8. Returning from Interrupts and Exceptions
Chapter 5 Kernel Synchronization
1. Kernel Control Paths
2. When Synchronization Is Not Necessary
3. Synchronization Primitives
4. Synchronizing Accesses to Kernel Data Structures
5. Examples of Race Condition Prevention
Chapter 6 Timing Measurements
1. Hardware Clocks
2. The Linux Timekeeping Architecture
3. CPU’s Time Sharing
4. Updating the Time and Date
5. Updating System Statistics
6. Software Timers
7. System Calls Related to Timing Measurements
Chapter 7 Memory Management
1. Page Frame Management
2. Memory Area Management
3. Noncontiguous Memory Area Management
Chapter 8 Process Address Space
1. The Process’s Address Space
2. The Memory Descriptor
3. Memory Regions
4. Page Fault Exception Handler
5. Creating and Deleting a Process Address Space
6. Managing the Heap
Chapter 9 System Calls
1. POSIX APIs and System Calls
2. System Call Handler and Service Routines
3. Kernel Wrapper Routines
Chapter 10 Signals
1. The Role of Signals
2. Generating a Signal
3. Delivering a Signal
4. System Calls Related to Signal Handling
Chapter 11 Process Scheduling
1. Scheduling Policy
2. The Scheduling Algorithm
3. System Calls Related to Scheduling
Chapter 12 The Virtual Filesystem
1. The Role of the Virtual Filesystem (VFS)
2. VFS Data Structures
3. Filesystem Types
4. Filesystem Mounting
5. Pathname Lookup
6. Implementations of VFS System Calls
7. File Locking
Chapter 13 Managing I/O Devices
1. I/O Architecture
2. Device Files
3. Device Drivers
4. Block Device Drivers
5. Character Device Drivers
Chapter 14 Disk Caches
1. The Page Cache
2. The Buffer Cache
Chapter 15 Accessing Files
1. Reading and Writing a File
2. Memory Mapping
3. Direct I/O Transfers
Chapter 16 Swapping: Methods for Freeing Memory
1. What Is Swapping?
2. Swap Area
3. The Swap Cache
4. Transferring Swap Pages
5. Swapping Out Pages
6. Swapping in Pages
7. Reclaiming Page Frame
Chapter 17 The Ext2 and Ext3 Filesystems
1. General Characteristics of Ext2
2. Ext2 Disk Data Structures
3. Ext2 Memory Data Structures
4. Creating the Ext2 Filesystem
5. Ext2 Methods
6. Managing Ext2 Disk Space
7. The Ext3 Filesystem
Chapter 18 Networking
1. Main Networking Data Structures
2. System Calls Related to Networking
3. Sending Packets to the Network Card
4. Receiving Packets from the Network Card
Chapter 19 Process Communication
1. Pipes
2. FIFOs
3. System V IPC
Chapter 20 Program Execution
1. Executable Files
2. Executable Formats
3. Execution Domains
4. The exec Functions
Chapter 21 Bibliography
1. Books on Unix Kernels
2. Books on the Linux Kernel
3. Books on PC Architecture and Technical Manuals on Intel Microprocessors
4. Other Online Documentation Sources

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Books & Videos

Understanding the Linux Kernel, 2nd Edition

Read on Safari with a 10-day trial

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

Linux Versus Other Unix-Like Kernels

Hardware Dependency

Linux Versions

Basic Operating System Concepts

An Overview of the Unix Filesystem

An Overview of Unix Kernels

Chapter 2 Memory Addressing

Memory Addresses

Segmentation in Hardware

Segmentation in Linux

Paging in Hardware

Paging in Linux

Chapter 3 Processes

Processes, Lightweight Processes, and Threads

Process Descriptor

Process Switch

Creating Processes

Destroying Processes

Chapter 4 Interrupts and Exceptions

The Role of Interrupt Signals

Interrupts and Exceptions

Nested Execution of Exception and Interrupt Handlers

Initializing the Interrupt Descriptor Table

Exception Handling

Interrupt Handling

Softirqs, Tasklets, and Bottom Halves

Returning from Interrupts and Exceptions

Chapter 5 Kernel Synchronization

Kernel Control Paths

When Synchronization Is Not Necessary

Synchronization Primitives

Synchronizing Accesses to Kernel Data Structures

Examples of Race Condition Prevention

Chapter 6 Timing Measurements

Hardware Clocks

The Linux Timekeeping Architecture

CPU’s Time Sharing

Updating the Time and Date

Updating System Statistics

Software Timers

System Calls Related to Timing Measurements

Chapter 7 Memory Management

Page Frame Management

Memory Area Management

Noncontiguous Memory Area Management

Chapter 8 Process Address Space

The Process’s Address Space

The Memory Descriptor

Memory Regions

Page Fault Exception Handler

Creating and Deleting a Process Address Space

Managing the Heap

Chapter 9 System Calls

POSIX APIs and System Calls

System Call Handler and Service Routines

Kernel Wrapper Routines

Chapter 10 Signals

The Role of Signals

Generating a Signal

Delivering a Signal

System Calls Related to Signal Handling

Chapter 11 Process Scheduling

Scheduling Policy

The Scheduling Algorithm

System Calls Related to Scheduling

Chapter 12 The Virtual Filesystem

The Role of the Virtual Filesystem (VFS)

VFS Data Structures

Filesystem Types

Filesystem Mounting

Pathname Lookup

Implementations of VFS System Calls

File Locking

Chapter 13 Managing I/O Devices

I/O Architecture