Linux System Programming: Talking Directly to the Kernel and C Library
Write software that draws directly on services offered by the Linux kernel and core system libraries. With this comprehensive book, Linux kernel contributor Robert Love provides you with a tutorial on Linux system programming, a reference manual on Linux system calls, and an insider’s guide to writing smarter, faster code.
Love clearly distinguishes between POSIX standard functions and special services offered only by Linux. With a new chapter on multithreading, this updated and expanded edition provides an in-depth look at Linux from both a theoretical and applied perspective over a wide range of programming topics, including:
- A Linux kernel, C library, and C compiler overview
- Basic I/O operations, such as reading from and writing to files
- Advanced I/O interfaces, memory mappings, and optimization techniques
- The family of system calls for basic process management
- Advanced process management, including real-time processes
- Thread concepts, multithreaded programming, and Pthreads
- File and directory management
- Interfaces for allocating memory and optimizing memory access
- Basic and advanced signal interfaces, and their role on the system
- Clock management, including POSIX clocks and high-resolution timers
Why Read This Book
You will learn how to use Linux system calls, the C library, and kernel services to build efficient, reliable software that runs close to the OS on embedded devices. The book combines clear explanations of POSIX vs Linux-specific behavior with practical examples (file I/O, epoll, mmap, signals, pthreads) and performance-minded advice that help you write smarter, lower-latency system code.
Who Will Benefit
Best for intermediate-to-advanced embedded Linux developers and systems programmers who write firmware, device-facing services, or performance-sensitive C code on ARM/RISC-V/SoC platforms running Linux.
