Linux Core Kernel Commentary
by Scott Maxwell · first published 1999
56% recommend44% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Line-by-line commentary on selected core Linux kernel source, skipping drivers and peripherals; modeled on Lions' Unix commentary and valued for teaching how kernel internals really work.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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It's not at all "new" anymore (published 1999), but if you enjoy source-code commentary then check out ISBN 978-1576104699 - "Linux Core Kernel Commentary: Guide to Insider's Knowledge on the Core Kernel of the Linux Code" Very similar approach to Lions. There's a second volume that covers the networking stack as well.
on “Ask HN: What Comes After John Lions' Unix Commentary?” ↗…- Design and Implementation of the UNIX Operating System (Maurice J. Bach) - Modern Operating Systems (Andrew S. Tanenbaum) - Operating Systems Design and Implementation (Andrew S. Tanenbaum) - Linux Core Kernel Commentary (Scott Andrew Maxwell)
on “Design and Implementation of the FreeBSD OS: 2nd edition available for preorder” ↗…by the compiler (and other tools) being used and the project's conventions. Personally I learnt a great deal from studying Unix kernel sources from the John Lions books. A more modern equivalent is "Linux Core Kernel Commentary". Once you read up on different open source projects, you will see that there is no one way of using C.
on “Beginning to learn C: What resources should I be using?” ↗For the Linux kernel, there is an excellent book called "Linux Core Kernel Commentary" (which is based off the SVR4 Lion's Commentary book), which has the source of the kernel (an old version) printed out and then a commentary on all the bits (code and data structures). It was an eye opener…
on “Ask HN: Recommended resources to learn the Linux kernel and OS theory?” ↗I've commented below... there's an old book called "Linux Core Kernel Commentary" which is based on the Lion's book. It's a great read. There's a Xinu book which is similar, but without the accompanying source code.
on “Ask HN: Recommended resources to learn the Linux kernel and OS theory?” ↗I picked up this book in a bookstore years ago, still have it on my shelf. The Linux Core Kernel Commentary [1] It takes only the parts of the kernel you need to understand, leaving out the drivers, device classes, and much of te ancillary pieces. For the parts it chooses, it goes through them line by line…
on “/* You Are Not Expected to Understand This */ (2018)” ↗Also Maxwell's "Linux Core Kernel Commentary" which also annotates the kernel. It's old so is based on 2.2, but its a gold mine
on “Learning modern Linux: A handbook for the cloud native practitioner” ↗Are you thinking about the Linux Core Kernel Commentary? http://www.amazon.com/Linux-Core-Kernel-Commentary-Knowledge... I keep telling myself I'm going to read it, but never get around to it. At this point, the John Lions book is probably just as relevant…
on “Is there a Linux equivalent to “The Design and Implementation of FreeBSD”?” ↗Linux Core Kernel Commentary: Guide to Insider's Knowledge on the Core Kernel of the Linux Code https://www.amazon.com/Linux-Core-Kernel-Commentary-Knowledg... Understanding the Linux Kernel, Third Edition 3rd Edition https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Linux-Kernel-Third-Dani...
on “Ask HN: I'd like to start reading the Linux source code. Where should I start?” ↗I once had a book, in coffee table, landscape format that was titled "Linux Core Kernel Commentary Vol 2". In the annotator's introduction it stated something like "I haven't seen this many goto statements since I was writing BASIC as a teenager!" but then went on to explain why sometimes they're…
on “Go 1.3+ Compiler Overhaul” ↗A lot of us learned this way from John Lions' Unix Commentary. There have been similar books for Linux and Apache. (They didn't have a concordance for the Linux Core Kernel Commentary so I wrote one and sent it the author who mentioned it in the second printing.) But I think for OpenBSD something like SourceGraph is more than enough. I would recommend the SourceGraph people post browsers…
on “Reading OpenBSD source code daily” ↗