A.3.5 Kernel Hacking

Title:

The Design of the UNIX Operating System

Author:

Maurice J. Bach

Publisher:

Prentice-Hall, 1986

IBSN:

0-13-201799-7 ??

This book covers the algorithms and internals of the UNIX kernel. It is not specific to any particular kernel, although it does lean towards System V-isms. This is the best place to start if you want to understand the inner tickings of the Linux system.

Title:

The Magic Garden Explained

Author:

Berny Goodheart and James Cox

Publisher:

Prentice-Hall, 1994

IBSN:

0-13-098138-9 ??

This book describes the System V R4 kernel in detail. Unlike Bach's book, which concentrates heavily on the algorithms which make the kernel tick, this book presents the SVR4 implementation on a more technical level. Although Linux and SVR4 are distant cousins, this book can give you much insight into the workings of an actual UNIX kernel implementation. This is also a very modern book on the UNIX kernel---published in 1994.