Need help to understand Linux Kernel
 

Hi,
I am MCA student who is quite interested in GNU/Linux. I have learnt to operate and configure numerous Linux distros and am quite comfortable with it(currently slackware). My other background information:
Things I know:
1. Know C/C++ quite well including data structures
2.Know AT&T assembly quite well including inline assembly
3.Know basic of networking but no formal training till now.
4.Did some amount of system programming(from Beginning Linux Programming)
Things I don't know:
1.Operating Systems- No formal training till now. Tried reading by myself the famous Tanenbaum's Operating system design and implementation but first attempt was failure. Didn't understand much of the stuff esp. Minix part.

Now I have 2 months vacation at my disposal and want to utilize it to know Linux well. I have both Linux kernel development by Robert Love and Understanding Linux Kernel by Orielly press. However I lose track after few chapters.
Kindly do guide me how should I proceed forward. I think I am approaching the subject wrong way. Or should i just abandon the work for some time and concentrate more on system or network programming(as i am interested in security too.)
Please only the person with experience with linux kernel reply.
Thanks in advance.
P.S.: I have also searched through google and this forum and found some good refrences like kernelnewbies site and other but what I need is the prerequistes required. Like for e.g. when they say 'address space', what it means in reality or code.

Have you tried Linux Device Drivers? I don't know how it compares to the other two books you mentioned, but it's very practical and gets you writing some code fairly quickly.

Is it really sensible to put this particular pre-condition on replies? Certainly it is not necessary to have kernel experience (and I don't think, in spite of what you write, that there is only one person with kernel experience) to help you with:

Although it is difficult to square the comment above with:

Practice is the best way to learn something, and I think the easiest part for the linux kernel is device driver, you can learn many interesting aspect by understanding / writing devices driver. You already have some good pointers ("Linux Device Driver", "kernelnewbies"...). Know just found something to practice.

Thanks JohnGraham and jf.argentino!
I will surely try my luck this time with Linux device drivers. One of my friend has it, so I think I will borrow and try learning from it. Also I am also continuously browsing through the kernelnewbie site and think that its making some sense now.
Again thanks for your kind replies. Shall post any more progress of mine here.

Time to have some fun: http://www.linuxdriver.co.il/kernel_map .

Good one!.. Thanks:hattip:
I also found another good link on forum.. Its related to OS in general:
osdever

Best advice I saw was find something (small) that you are interested in and concentrate on that.
Else you'll just get frustrated. Lots of options - VFS, drivers (IDE, SATA, USB, Video, ...), memory management (allocation, sharing, paging, swapping), filesystems (pick one ...), virtualization ...

I like kernelnewbies - good concept.

thanks syg00!
Well that's true.. I have decided to start first with drivers as most of the members on thread have advised me to do so. I have also brought the linux device drivers and will start reading in night.:study: Also have bookmarked kernel newbies will check it out now and then. Hope, will achieve something good in these vacations. Thanks again for all of your kind replies.:hattip: Moderators can kindly close the thread.

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