Written by a leading developer and maintainer of the Linux kernel,Linux Kernel in a Nutshell is a comprehensiveoverview of kernel configuration and building, a critical task forLinux users and administrators.
No distribution can provide a Linux kernel that meets all users'needs. Computers big and small have special requirements that requirereconfiguring and rebuilding the kernel. Whether you are trying toget sound, wireless support, and power management working on a laptopor incorporating enterprise features such as logical volume managementon a large server, you can benefit from the insights in this book.
Linux Kernel in a Nutshell covers the entirerange of kernel tasks, starting with downloading the source and makingsure that the kernel is in sync with the versions of the tools youneed. In addition to configuration and installation steps, the bookoffers reference material and discussions of related topics such ascontrol of kernel options at runtime.
A key benefit of the book is a chapter on determining exactly what drivers are needed for your hardware. Also included are recipes thatlist what you need to do to accomplish a wide range of popular tasks.
Chapter 1 Introduction
Using this book
Chapter 2 Requirements for building and using the kernel
Tools to build the kernel
Tools to use the kernel
Chapter 3 Retrieving the kernel source
What tree to use
Where to find the kernel source
What to do with the source
Chapter 4 Configuring and Building
Creating a configuration
Modifying the configuration
Building the kernel
Advanced building options
Chapter 5 Installing and Booting From a Kernel
Using a Distribution's Installation Scripts
Installing By Hand
Modifying the Bootloader For the New Kernel
Chapter 6 Upgrading a kernel
Download the new source
Applying the patch
Reconfigure the kernel
Can't this be automated?
Chapter 7 Customizing a Kernel
Using a Distribution Kernel
Determining the Correct Module From Scratch
Chapter 8 Kernel Configuration Recipes
Disks
Devices
CPU
Networking
Filesystems
Security
Kernel debugging
Chapter 9 Kernel boot command-line parameter reference The majority of this chapter is based on the in-kernel documentation for the different kernel boot command line reference options, which were written by the kernel developers and released under the GPL.
Module-specific options
Console options
Interrupt options
Memory options
Suspend options
CPU options
Scheduler options
Ramdisk options
Root disk options
Init options
kexec options
RCU options
ACPI options
SCSI options
PCI options
PnP BIOS options
SELinux options
Network options
NFS options
Hardware specific options
Timer specific options
Miscellaneous options
Chapter 10 Kernel build command line reference
Informational Targets
Cleaning Targets
Configuration Targets
Build Targets
Packaging Targets
Documentation Targets
Architecture-Specific Targets
Analysis Targets
Chapter 11 Kernel Configuration Option Reference This chapter lists the most important configuration options offered when you run make config or one of its graphical interfaces. The majority of the chapter is based on the in-kernel documentation for the different kernel configuration options, which were written by the kernel developers and released under the GPL.
Greg Kroah-Hartman has been building the Linux kernel since 1996 and started writing Linux kernel drivers in 1999. He is currently the maintainer of the USB, PCI, driver core and sysfs subsystems in the kernel source tree and is also one half of the -stable kernel release team. He created the udev program and maintains the Linux hotplug userspace project. He is a Gentoo Linux developer as well as the co-author of the third edition of the "Linux Device Drivers" book and a contributing editor to Linux Journal. He also created and maintains the Linux Device Driver Kit. He currently works for SuSE Labs/Novell, doing various Linux kernel related tasks.
Comments about oreilly Linux Kernel in a Nutshell:
Very easy read, very enjoyable.
@norm: The content you are looking for is on the left of the page, under a link called "examples". Although, your inability to navigate a webpage using a simple browser makes me question whether you'll be able to follow any of the instructions in this equally accessible book.
11/28/2009
(6 of 15 customers found this review helpful)
1.0
scripts, examples, errata, and any plan
By norm
from arizona
Comments about oreilly Linux Kernel in a Nutshell:
In the preface the book gives the following:[@]as a source for the scrips, examples, errata and any plans for future additions. Well, this information does not exist at this site, so it makes me wonder about the accuracy of the rest of the book.
11/5/2007
5.0
thanks!
By jhb
from Undisclosed
Comments about oreilly Linux Kernel in a Nutshell:
Thanks to the book,i become loving liunx.^_^
4/15/2007
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
5.0
Great Kernel reference
By Luis Rodrigues Kromu
from Undisclosed
Comments about oreilly Linux Kernel in a Nutshell:
Nowadays its less common for a user to have to compile a kernel, but there are times that if you don't do it a given device will no work properly (or at all). Despite the huge amount of Linux distributions available none is able to fulfill every user requirement. Configuring a laptop or installing a server requires different sets of modules with imply reconfiguring and recompiling the kernel. If you want to listen to a music, enable power management on a laptop or install some enterprise grade features like RAID or LVM this book is surely to help you.
The "Linux Kernel in a Nutshell" was written by one of the most renoun Linux kernel hackers, Greg Kroab-Hartman. Greg Kroab-Hartman develops system drivers since 1999 and is currently responsible for several of the kernel's subsystems, udev and hotplug.
This book was written to explain everything with is necessary to compile and install a Linux kernel. You don't need any prior programming experience but is most recommend some knowledge of the Linux system and it's command line.
The "Linux Kernel in a Nutshell" is quite complete and clear making it easy for the reader to compile its first kernel in just a few hours after having the book. Kroab-Hartman manages to do this supplying plenty of information in a well structured form that makes its reading extraordinarily easy.
The first chapters explain how to obtain and compile the kernel with is very light reading (about one hour). In the next chapters he explains how to customize your kernel. Finally at the end there is a list of boot and compilation parameters.
If you have some experience with Linux or you usually compile your kernel the information available in this book is a bit too simple never the less useful. If you never compiled a Kernel this book will save you plenty of time.
I recommend "Linux Kernel in a Nutshell" to every Linux user with wishes to learn a bit more how it's Linux system works.
1/18/2007
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
4.0
Great for the first time kernel builder!
By leam
from Undisclosed
Comments about oreilly Linux Kernel in a Nutshell:
When you are ready to build your own linux kernel this is a great book to read! Greg achieves his goal of providing lots of kernel building information in one easily useable source. He explains without being wordy and lets you learn from his ample experience. Chapters 1-6 deal with getting and building a vanilla kernel and should take you about an hour to read. Chapter 7 is neat because it shows how to isolate exactly what hardware you need to build for to optimize a running system. Chapters 9-11 cover half the book in reference format; boot parameters, build parameters, and configuration options.
If you are a kernel hacker the material is a bit light. However, if you have never built a kernel before you will save hours by this one read. I particularly like the reference style because I can study as much as my brain can absorb, make notes, and come back when I have a question.
