Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide is for people who want to write kernel modules. It takes a hands-on approach starting with writing a small "hello, world" program, and quickly moves from there. Far from a boring text on programming, Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide has a lively style that entertains while it educates. An excellent guide for anyone wishing to get started on kernel module programming. *** Money raised from the sale of this book supports the development of free software and documentation.
Learn how to write high-quality kernel module code, solve common Linux kernel programming issues, and understand the fundamentals of Linux kernel internals Key Features Discover how to write kernel code using the Loadable Kernel Module framework Explore industry-grade techniques to perform efficient memory allocation and data synchronization within the kernel Understand the essentials of key internals topics such as kernel architecture, memory management, CPU scheduling, and kernel synchronization Book DescriptionLinux Kernel Programming is a comprehensive introduction for those new to Linux kernel and module development. This easy-to-follow guide will have you up and running with writing kernel code in next-to-no time. This book uses the latest 5.4 Long-Term Support (LTS) Linux kernel, which will be maintained from November 2019 through to December 2025. By working with the 5.4 LTS kernel throughout the book, you can be confident that your knowledge will continue to be valid for years to come. You’ll start the journey by learning how to build the kernel from the source. Next, you’ll write your first kernel module using the powerful Loadable Kernel Module (LKM) framework. The following chapters will cover key kernel internals topics including Linux kernel architecture, memory management, and CPU scheduling. During the course of this book, you’ll delve into the fairly complex topic of concurrency within the kernel, understand the issues it can cause, and learn how they can be addressed with various locking technologies (mutexes, spinlocks, atomic, and refcount operators). You’ll also benefit from more advanced material on cache effects, a primer on lock-free techniques within the kernel, deadlock avoidance (with lockdep), and kernel lock debugging techniques. By the end of this kernel book, you’ll have a detailed understanding of the fundamentals of writing Linux kernel module code for real-world projects and products.What you will learn Write high-quality modular kernel code (LKM framework) for 5.x kernels Configure and build a kernel from source Explore the Linux kernel architecture Get to grips with key internals regarding memory management within the kernel Understand and work with various dynamic kernel memory alloc/dealloc APIs Discover key internals aspects regarding CPU scheduling within the kernel Gain an understanding of kernel concurrency issues Find out how to work with key kernel synchronization primitives Who this book is for This book is for Linux programmers beginning to find their way with Linux kernel development. If you’re a Linux kernel and driver developer looking to overcome frequent and common kernel development issues, or understand kernel intervals, you’ll find plenty of useful information. You’ll need a solid foundation of Linux CLI and C programming before you can jump in.
Device drivers literally drive everything you're interested in--disks, monitors, keyboards, modems--everything outside the computer chip and memory. And writing device drivers is one of the few areas of programming for the Linux operating system that calls for unique, Linux-specific knowledge. For years now, programmers have relied on the classic Linux Device Drivers from O'Reilly to master this critical subject. Now in its third edition, this bestselling guide provides all the information you'll need to write drivers for a wide range of devices.Over the years the book has helped countless programmers learn: how to support computer peripherals under the Linux operating system how to develop and write software for new hardware under Linux the basics of Linux operation even if they are not expecting to write a driver The new edition of Linux Device Drivers is better than ever. The book covers all the significant changes to Version 2.6 of the Linux kernel, which simplifies many activities, and contains subtle new features that can make a driver both more efficient and more flexible. Readers will find new chapters on important types of drivers not covered previously, such as consoles, USB drivers, and more.Best of all, you don't have to be a kernel hacker to understand and enjoy this book. All you need is an understanding of the C programming language and some background in Unix system calls. And for maximum ease-of-use, the book uses full-featured examples that you can compile and run without special hardware.Today Linux holds fast as the most rapidly growing segment of the computer market and continues to win over enthusiastic adherents in many application areas. With this increasing support, Linux is now absolutely mainstream, and viewed as a solid platform for embedded systems. If you're writing device drivers, you'll want this book. In fact, you'll wonder how drivers are ever written without it.
This reference documents the features of the Linux 2.6 kernel in detail so that system administrators and developers can customise and optimise their systems for better performance.
Expand Raspberry Pi capabilities with fundamental engineering principles Exploring Raspberry Pi is the innovators guide to bringing Raspberry Pi to life. This book favors engineering principles over a 'recipe' approach to give you the skills you need to design and build your own projects. You'll understand the fundamental principles in a way that transfers to any type of electronics, electronic modules, or external peripherals, using a "learning by doing" approach that caters to both beginners and experts. The book begins with basic Linux and programming skills, and helps you stock your inventory with common parts and supplies. Next, you'll learn how to make parts work together to achieve the goals of your project, no matter what type of components you use. The companion website provides a full repository that structures all of the code and scripts, along with links to video tutorials and supplementary content that takes you deeper into your project. The Raspberry Pi's most famous feature is its adaptability. It can be used for thousands of electronic applications, and using the Linux OS expands the functionality even more. This book helps you get the most from your Raspberry Pi, but it also gives you the fundamental engineering skills you need to incorporate any electronics into any project. Develop the Linux and programming skills you need to build basic applications Build your inventory of parts so you can always "make it work" Understand interfacing, controlling, and communicating with almost any component Explore advanced applications with video, audio, real-world interactions, and more Be free to adapt and create with Exploring Raspberry Pi.
This is the eBook version of the printed book. If the print book includes a CD-ROM, this content is not included within the eBook version. Advanced Linux Programming is divided into two parts. The first covers generic UNIX system services, but with a particular eye towards Linux specific information. This portion of the book will be of use even to advanced programmers who have worked with other Linux systems since it will cover Linux specific details and differences. For programmers without UNIX experience, it will be even more valuable. The second section covers material that is entirely Linux specific. These are truly advanced topics, and are the techniques that the gurus use to build great applications. While this book will focus mostly on the Application Programming Interface (API) provided by the Linux kernel and the C library, a preliminary introduction to the development tools available will allow all who purchase the book to make immediate use of Linux.
Discover how to write high-quality character driver code, interface with userspace, work with chip memory, and gain an in-depth understanding of working with hardware interrupts and kernel synchronization Key FeaturesDelve into hardware interrupt handling, threaded IRQs, tasklets, softirqs, and understand which to use whenExplore powerful techniques to perform user-kernel interfacing, peripheral I/O and use kernel mechanismsWork with key kernel synchronization primitives to solve kernel concurrency issuesBook Description Linux Kernel Programming Part 2 - Char Device Drivers and Kernel Synchronization is an ideal companion guide to the Linux Kernel Programming book. This book provides a comprehensive introduction for those new to Linux device driver development and will have you up and running with writing misc class character device driver code (on the 5.4 LTS Linux kernel) in next to no time. You'll begin by learning how to write a simple and complete misc class character driver before interfacing your driver with user-mode processes via procfs, sysfs, debugfs, netlink sockets, and ioctl. You'll then find out how to work with hardware I/O memory. The book covers working with hardware interrupts in depth and helps you understand interrupt request (IRQ) allocation, threaded IRQ handlers, tasklets, and softirqs. You'll also explore the practical usage of useful kernel mechanisms, setting up delays, timers, kernel threads, and workqueues. Finally, you'll discover how to deal with the complexity of kernel synchronization with locking technologies (mutexes, spinlocks, and atomic/refcount operators), including more advanced topics such as cache effects, a primer on lock-free techniques, deadlock avoidance (with lockdep), and kernel lock debugging techniques. By the end of this Linux kernel book, you'll have learned the fundamentals of writing Linux character device driver code for real-world projects and products. What you will learnGet to grips with the basics of the modern Linux Device Model (LDM)Write a simple yet complete misc class character device driverPerform user-kernel interfacing using popular methodsUnderstand and handle hardware interrupts confidentlyPerform I/O on peripheral hardware chip memoryExplore kernel APIs to work with delays, timers, kthreads, and workqueuesUnderstand kernel concurrency issuesWork with key kernel synchronization primitives and discover how to detect and avoid deadlockWho this book is for An understanding of the topics covered in the Linux Kernel Programming book is highly recommended to make the most of this book. This book is for Linux programmers beginning to find their way with device driver development. Linux device driver developers looking to overcome frequent and common kernel/driver development issues, as well as perform common driver tasks such as user-kernel interfaces, performing peripheral I/O, handling hardware interrupts, and dealing with concurrency will benefit from this book. A basic understanding of Linux kernel internals (and common APIs), kernel module development, and C programming is required.
In-depth instruction and practical techniques for building with the BeagleBone embedded Linux platform Exploring BeagleBone is a hands-on guide to bringing gadgets, gizmos, and robots to life using the popular BeagleBone embedded Linux platform. Comprehensive content and deep detail provide more than just a BeagleBone instruction manual—you’ll also learn the underlying engineering techniques that will allow you to create your own projects. The book begins with a foundational primer on essential skills, and then gradually moves into communication, control, and advanced applications using C/C++, allowing you to learn at your own pace. In addition, the book’s companion website features instructional videos, source code, discussion forums, and more, to ensure that you have everything you need. The BeagleBone’s small size, high performance, low cost, and extreme adaptability have made it a favorite development platform, and the Linux software base allows for complex yet flexible functionality. The BeagleBone has applications in smart buildings, robot control, environmental sensing, to name a few; and, expansion boards and peripherals dramatically increase the possibilities. Exploring BeagleBone provides a reader-friendly guide to the device, including a crash course in computer engineering. While following step by step, you can: Get up to speed on embedded Linux, electronics, and programming Master interfacing electronic circuits, buses and modules, with practical examples Explore the Internet-connected BeagleBone and the BeagleBone with a display Apply the BeagleBone to sensing applications, including video and sound Explore the BeagleBone’s Programmable Real-Time Controllers Hands-on learning helps ensure that your new skills stay with you, allowing you to design with electronics, modules, or peripherals even beyond the BeagleBone. Insightful guidance and online peer support help you transition from beginner to expert as you master the techniques presented in Exploring BeagleBone, the practical handbook for the popular computing platform.
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.
