Understanding the Linux Kernel

Understanding the Linux Kernel By Daniel P. Bovet, Marco Cesati
October 2000
Pages: 702

| Table of Contents | Index | Sample Chapter | Colophon

Chapter 1 Introduction
1. Linux Versus Other Unix-Like Kernels
2. Hardware Dependency
3. Linux Versions
4. Basic Operating System Concepts
5. An Overview of the Unix Filesystem
6. An Overview of Unix Kernels
Chapter 2 Memory Addressing
1. Memory Addresses
2. Segmentation in Hardware
3. Segmentation in Linux
4. Paging in Hardware
5. Paging in Linux
6. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 3 Processes
1. Process Descriptor
2. Process Switching
3. Creating Processes
4. Destroying Processes
5. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 4 Interrupts and Exceptions
1. The Role of Interrupt Signals
2. Interrupts and Exceptions
3. Nested Execution of Exception and Interrupt Handlers
4. Initializing the Interrupt Descriptor Table
5. Exception Handling
6. Interrupt Handling
7. Returning from Interrupts and Exceptions
8. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 5 Timing Measurements
1. Hardware Clocks
2. The Timer Interrupt Handler
3. PIT's Interrupt Service Routine
4. The TIMER_BH Bottom Half Functions
5. System Calls Related to Timing Measurements
6. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 6 Memory Management
1. Page Frame Management
2. Memory Area Management
3. Noncontiguous Memory Area Management
4. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 7 Process Address Space
1. The Process's Address Space
2. The Memory Descriptor
3. Memory Regions
4. Page Fault Exception Handler
5. Creating and Deleting a Process Address Space
6. Managing the Heap
7. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 8 System Calls
1. POSIX APIs and System Calls
2. System Call Handler and Service Routines
3. Wrapper Routines
4. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 9 Signals
1. The Role of Signals
2. Sending a Signal
3. Receiving a Signal
4. Real-Time Signals
5. System Calls Related to Signal Handling
6. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 10 Process Scheduling
1. Scheduling Policy
2. The Scheduling Algorithm
3. System Calls Related to Scheduling
4. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 11 Kernel Synchronization
1. Kernel Control Paths
2. Synchronization Techniques
3. The SMP Architecture
4. The Linux/SMP Kernel
5. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 12 The Virtual Filesystem
1. The Role of the VFS
2. VFS Data Structures
3. Filesystem Mounting
4. Pathname Lookup
5. Implementations of VFS System Calls
6. File Locking
7. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 13 Managing I/O Devices
1. I/O Architecture
2. Associating Files with I/O Devices
3. Device Drivers
4. Character Device Handling
5. Block Device Handling
6. Page I/O Operations
7. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 14 Disk Caches
1. The Buffer Cache
2. The Page Cache
3. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 15 Accessing Regular Files
1. Reading and Writing a Regular File
2. Memory Mapping
3. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 16 Swapping: Methods for Freeing Memory
1. What Is Swapping?
2. Swap Area
3. The Swap Cache
4. Transferring Swap Pages
5. Page Swap-Out
6. Page Swap-In
7. Freeing Page Frames
8. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 17 The Ext2 Filesystem
1. General Characteristics
2. Disk Data Structures
3. Memory Data Structures
4. Creating the Filesystem
5. Ext2 Methods
6. Managing Disk Space
7. Reading and Writing an Ext2 Regular File
8. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 18 Process Communication
1. Pipes
2. FIFOs
3. System V IPC
4. Anticipating Linux 2.4
Chapter 19 Program Execution
1. Executable Files
2. Executable Formats
3. Execution Domains
4. The exec-like Functions
5. Anticipating Linux 2.4

Appendix A System Startup
1. Prehistoric Age: The BIOS
2. Ancient Age: The Boot Loader
3. Middle Ages: The setup( ) Function
4. Renaissance: The startup_32( ) Functions
5. Modern Age: The start_kernel( ) Function
Appendix B Modules
1. To Be (a Module) or Not to Be?
2. Module Implementation
3. Linking and Unlinking Modules
4. Linking Modules on Demand
Appendix C Source Code Structure
Bibliography
Colophon

Return to Understanding the Linux Kernel

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

Linux Versus Other Unix-Like Kernels

Hardware Dependency

Linux Versions

Basic Operating System Concepts

An Overview of the Unix Filesystem

An Overview of Unix Kernels

Chapter 2 Memory Addressing

Memory Addresses

Segmentation in Hardware

Segmentation in Linux

Paging in Hardware

Paging in Linux

Anticipating Linux 2.4

Chapter 3 Processes

Process Descriptor

Process Switching

Creating Processes

Destroying Processes

Anticipating Linux 2.4

Chapter 4 Interrupts and Exceptions

The Role of Interrupt Signals

Interrupts and Exceptions

Nested Execution of Exception and Interrupt Handlers

Initializing the Interrupt Descriptor Table

Exception Handling

Interrupt Handling

Returning from Interrupts and Exceptions

Anticipating Linux 2.4

Chapter 5 Timing Measurements

Hardware Clocks

The Timer Interrupt Handler

PIT's Interrupt Service Routine

The TIMER_BH Bottom Half Functions

System Calls Related to Timing Measurements

Anticipating Linux 2.4

Chapter 6 Memory Management

Page Frame Management

Memory Area Management

Noncontiguous Memory Area Management

Anticipating Linux 2.4

Chapter 7 Process Address Space

The Process's Address Space

The Memory Descriptor

Memory Regions

Page Fault Exception Handler

Creating and Deleting a Process Address Space

Managing the Heap

Anticipating Linux 2.4

Chapter 8 System Calls

POSIX APIs and System Calls

System Call Handler and Service Routines

Wrapper Routines

Anticipating Linux 2.4

Chapter 9 Signals

The Role of Signals

Sending a Signal

Receiving a Signal

Real-Time Signals

System Calls Related to Signal Handling

Anticipating Linux 2.4

Chapter 10 Process Scheduling

Scheduling Policy

The Scheduling Algorithm

System Calls Related to Scheduling

Anticipating Linux 2.4

Chapter 11 Kernel Synchronization

Kernel Control Paths

Synchronization Techniques

The SMP Architecture

The Linux/SMP Kernel

Anticipating Linux 2.4

Chapter 12 The Virtual Filesystem

The Role of the VFS

VFS Data Structures

Filesystem Mounting

Pathname Lookup

Implementations of VFS System Calls

File Locking