Slashdot Mirror
Best Advanced Linux Kernel Training?
hdxia writes "Can anybody recommend a good Linux kernel training course? I have had some Linux kernel hacking experience, but would like to further harden and improve my understanding of the kernel. I expect the course would be advanced. You may say that the best method would be to dig into the kernel myself, but I really want to have a chance to discuss and learn all aspects of the kernel with an experienced instructor."
The very best course I have found is a ~32 hour DVD course on the FreeBSD kernel internals and: Advanced FreeBSD Kernel Code Walkthrough Videos I've never found anything more thorough.
Out here on the left coast the extension programs at the various University Of California campuses have some Linux Kernel classes. These tend to be developed and taught by engineers in the industry with a real working knowledge of the subject.
UC Santa Cruz Extension, http://www.ucsc-extension.edu/ has an "Linux Kernel Architecture and Programming" which looks like an intro course. You can take it online or as two Saturdays. There is also a Linux device drivers class which a once a week class and an Advanced Device Drivers class which is 4 Saturdays.
I checked the other campuses but they all seem to be summer schedule with a limited set of classes.
Red Hat also has a one week Kernel internals class which is a "hands on" which to me means a trade off of less information for some finger programing of the brain.
All of these courses seem to have an introductory flavor to them. But I suspect that you will learn a lot about all of the various areas of the kernel and how the different parts hang together. My experience as kernel hacker is that I have learned a lot about the parts I am interested in, but that there are many big areas of the kernel that I only have a superficial understanding of.
Hope this helps
RLH
Kernel hacking is taught at major universities, but under the title "Operating Systems".
We did no kernel programming in either the undergrad or graduate OS class at my undergraduate institution (I took both). It was all fairly low-level C systems programming. The undergrad OS class at my graduate institution (a top ten CS school) is the same way -- in fact, the OS class there is sometimes taught in Java. We did no kernel programming in any class I've taken so far, except for the graduate OS class at my graduate institution, and that was only because that was the project I happened to pick.
You learn OS theory, sure, and you almost need an understanding of a lot of that to know all of what's going on around the Linux kernel, but you're not going to learn about the Linux kernel in an OS class.
I may be a little biased since I've taught the courses... but...
If what you're looking for is the typical corporate 1 week training course, then IMHO you can't do much better. But! Let's be honest here, what can you get out of a one week course? If it's a serious course, like these are, you're going to get so much information that you'll have trouble staying afloat. You're not going to master these skills in a week. Depending on your programming skills and operating systems background you're looking at months to years before you're comfortable kernel hacking. What these courses can give you is a lot of solid coding examples to build your skills. But don't take my word for it, the code samples are available at ftp://axian.com/pub/RHD_SOLUTIONS. Oh, and of course the Red Hat info: http://www.redhat.com/training/developer/courses/
If you're not in the typical corporate time crunch mode, I'd definitely recommend college courses. Get some general background in OS design while you're at it if you don't already have it. Oh, and LUGs, lots of lugs have groups doing kernel hacking, not a bad place to start there either, plus LUGs don't cost anything!
I doubt your target for course is correct. Having been trough after-studies Operating Systems course like 20 years ago, centering on RSX-11, I still feel solid in concepts of today's OSes - Linux, too.
For good professional background, I would recommend you to get also good books. On OS principles themselves, and on Linux Kernel. I have been printing and binding myself freely distributable online David Rusling book "The Linux Kernel" (that over 10 years ago). It mentions even Alpha processor view of things - very good for broader understanding. Love this book, very special. Also in my library sits book of Linux kernel anatomy: too lazy to go upstairs for exact title, but it must have been published by SAMS, and is book analyzing specifically code, that makes Linux Kernel, there are sources of very first versions of kernel included too, which should help to understand evolution of kernel as final touch. And plenty of code and discussion of it. Author might be not available for classes, but book is serious alternative for such.
Good luck! OS things deserve your attention.
Servant of karma