Linux Kernel Internals Training Classes

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Linux Kernel Internals Training

This course teaches attendees to acquaints developers with the fundamental subsystems, data structures, and API of the Linux kernel version 3.10.

Overview

This three day, hands-on course, provides attendees with experience in creating Linux kernel source code within various subsystems of the Linux kernel.

Attendees will spend approximately 50 percent of the class time actually gaining hands-on experience with these topics.

Course Objectives

After this course, attendees will be able to:

Describe the role and functionality of the major subsystems within the Linux kernel.
Describe and make use of many of the key data structures and API functions within the Linux kernel.

Who Should Attend

The course is designed for software engineers who are familiar with Linux from the user and application development level, who wish to gain understanding of how the Linux kernel works internally.

Additional, assumed prerequisite knowledge, is experience in configuring and installing Linux kernels.

Duration

Three days.

Course Materials

The workshop materials include a comprehensive student workbook. The workbook contains all of the slides used in the course as well as hands-on lab exercises.

Course Workshop and Set-up

The workshop makes use of standard PC's with a desktop Linux distribution for development.

The following modules will be covered during the class:

Linux Kernel Overview
Diagram of Linux subsystems
Role of the kernel
Code Contexts
User Space and Kernel Space
Introducing LXR
System Call Interface

Processes
Process data structures
The /proc File System
Process creation
User/Kernel Mode Stacks
Linked Lists
Loadable Kernel Modules
What are they
Module related commands
Module functions
Printk()
Kernel Modules and the GPL

Debugging Kernel Code
More on Printk()
creating /proc files
The sys file system
- debugfs
cscope
kernel crashes —the “oops” message
KDB and KGDB
Synchronization
Need for Synchronization
- critical Section
Mutexes
semaphores
Completions
A tomic Operations
- Bits
- Integers
Spin locks
- Read-write Spinlocks
Alternative to Blocking
- Sequential Locks
- Read-Copy-Update
- Per-CPU Variables

Memory Management
Virtual Memory
Paging
kmalloc() and friends
Slab Allocator
get_free_page() and friends
Buddy Algorithm
Device Drivers
What is a Device Driver?
The /dev directory
Device Registration
- The File Operations Table
Unified Device Model

Interrupt Context
interrupt handlers

Registering an Interrupt Handler

Deferred work

Tasklets
Workqueues

Timers

Virtual Filesystem/Block Devices
VFS data structures
Adding a filesystem
The Block Layer
- I/O Schedulers
Block devices

Configuring and Building the Kernel
Why build the kernel?
Where to get the Kernel
- Upstream and Downstream Kernels
Kernel Source Tree
Configuring the Kernel
Building and Installing the Kernel

The Scheduler
What does the Scheduler Do?
Completely Fair Scheduler
- Red/Black Trees
High Resolution Timer

The Linux Boot Process
BIOS
Bootloader
- Grub
Initial RAM Disk
Kernel Initialization
init process
Run Levels

Enrollment Form

Prerequisites: Additional, assumed prerequisite knowledge, is experience in configuring and installing Linux kernels.

If you have any questions about the difficulty level of the class, please contact us at: classes (at) linuxcertified.com

Optional: All attendees will get a Linux laptop and a single CPU board to be used during the class. You have the option of purchasing this laptop and/or board with an additional course fee.

On-site: If you would like to arrange an on-site Linux class, please contact us at: classes (at) linuxcertified.com

If you don't see this class scheduled in the timeframe/place of your preference, please let us know your preference for timeframe (which month etc.) and any particular geography preference. Send email with your interest to classes(at)linuxcertified.com