I want to learn Linux in depth and know how it really works

Hello,
I know Linux to some extent and can do daily tasks and use it as a server. You can say that I am a Linux administrator, but many Linux administrators don't really understand how Linux and the operating system work. I want to learn Linux in depth. What book do you recommend?

Thank you.

There's only one answer to your request: Linux from scratch!

Had a romantic idea to build a slick install, so deep-dived into LFS... a year or so later found it to be too much for my needs, so decided to find a distro to strip from unwanted stuff.

Found Slackware (with nothing to strip), which I may recommend for building LFS as Slackware comes with all tools for the build...

Best of luck!

Originally Posted by Jason.nix I know Linux to some extent and can do daily tasks and use it as a server.

So can you already do all the items mentioned in posts #2 and #17 of this thread: https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/where-can-i-find-exercises-to-practice-linux-4175718917 ?

If not, there's a couple of recommendations for the book The Linux Command Line, by William Shotts in that thread which should help with some of them.

Hello,
Thank you so much.
The Linux Command Line, by William Shotts book, explain Linux in depth or is it just about Linux commands?
How about How Linux Works, 3rd Edition: What Every Superuser Should Know, by Brian Ward book?

Something free to learn with

https://ocw.mit.edu/search/?q=linux&...sort_coursenum

Originally Posted by Jason.nix Hello, Thank you so much. The Linux Command Line, by William Shotts book, explain Linux in depth or is it just about Linux commands? How about How Linux Works, 3rd Edition: What Every Superuser Should Know, by Brian Ward book?

Thanks for the tip. I just bought "How Linux Works" from Walmart.

Originally Posted by Jason.nix The The Linux Command Line, by William Shotts, Does it explain Linux in depth or is it just about Linux commands?

The book provides commands for exploring and understanding a Linux-based OS along with further reading references for each chapter - you can follow the link, look for the bit that says "this book is available for free download in PDF format. Download it here" and see for yourself precisely what it contains.

I would suggest there are few if any topics that can be learnt in depth solely from reading a single book, but - based on that question - even if you only page through it you'll probably find yourself learning plenty.


Since the Brian Ward book does not have an open license or PDF online, I cannot view it and thus have no strong opinions, but looking at the abstract and ToC it seems to have a kernel-focused angle which potentially complements the above book. (If I were to buy it, I would certainly get it direct from the publisher - No Starch Press, same publisher as William Shotts book - and never from Amazon.)

Personally, I agree with @Jan: LFS = Linux From Scratch. You quite-literally "bootstrap" the entire system from nothing.

But "it is so much easier now," because you can download a full-featured virtual machine system – VirtualBox® – which costs nothing but runs on everything. Quite unlike what I had to do all those many years ago, you can now carry out your in a window, on any "host" that you prefer. "Snapshot, restore, all the good stuff ..."

You might also one day be interested in Gentoo, which is a source-code based distribution where you actually compile everything yourself, using compile-time options that are specific to your computer hardware. It's kind of like "LFS with packages." (Do LFS first ...)

Hello,
Thank you so much for all replies.
The Linux from scratch is for those who want to build a Linux distribution.
I want to learn how Linux works. For example, how it communicates with the hardware, how it manages memory, and what happens when I run a program until the program is executed. I want a book that will teach me such things.
Sorry if I couldn't express my question well at first.

Originally Posted by jailbait Thanks for the tip. I just bought "How Linux Works" from Walmart.

Great.
Please see my last post related to this question. Does this book cover what I want?

Originally Posted by Jason.nix I want to learn Linux in depth.

Me too ... one day I hope to get there

Originally Posted by Jason.nix I want to learn how Linux works. For example, how it communicates with the hardware, how it manages memory, and what happens when I run a program until the program is executed. I want a book that will teach me such things. Sorry if I couldn't express my question well at first.

Then you want a book that specifically focuses on the Linux kernel, rather than merely Linux-based OSes - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_s...d_kernel_space

The Brian Ward book may include aspects of that (chapters 3..8) but of course you'll need someone who has already read those to say how far it goes.

Possibly better would be to take a look at the "Up-to-date books" section of https://kernelnewbies.org/Documents

Originally Posted by Jason.nix Great. Please see my last post related to this question. Does this book cover what I want?

I bought the book just before I wrote the post. I haven't received the book yet. I bought the book based on the description of the book in the link you posted. From the description I think that the book covers what you want.

Here's a series of videos on the POSIX API. Which is certainly one level that's worth understanding.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...Ds9zIiBg2Wug0z