Advanced Linux Programming

"Advanced Linux Programming" is a comprehensive guide for developers working with the GNU/Linux system. The book is divided into two main parts, covering both general UNIX programming concepts and advanced Linux-specific topics. It's intended for a wide audience, including those new to UNIX-like systems, developers migrating from other platforms like Windows, and experienced Linux programmers seeking to deepen their knowledge.

The first part, "Advanced UNIX Programming with Linux," covers foundational topics for developing applications, such as:

• Getting Started: This section introduces essential development tools like GNU Emacs for editing, GCC for compiling, GNU Make for automating the build process, and GDB for debugging. It also provides guidance on finding further documentation.

• Writing Good GNU/Linux Software: This part focuses on best practices, including interacting with the execution environment through command-line arguments and environment variables, using standard I/O, and defensive coding techniques with error checking. It also discusses the differences between static and dynamic libraries.

• Processes and Threads: The book delves into process management, covering topics like process creation with fork() and exec(), process termination, signals, and process scheduling. It then moves to the more fine-grained concurrency model of threads, detailing thread creation, synchronization with mutexes and semaphores, and the distinctions between processes and threads.

• Interprocess Communication (IPC): This section explores various methods for processes to communicate, including shared memory, memory-mapped files, pipes, FIFOs, and sockets.

The second part, "Mastering Linux," focuses on features unique to the Linux kernel and advanced system-level programming:

• Devices and the /proc File System: It explains how Linux handles device drivers and how applications can interact with them through device files in the /dev directory. It also provides an extensive look into the /proc file system, which serves as a window into the running kernel's state, providing information on processes, memory, hardware, and system statistics.

• Linux System Calls: This section is a reference for important system calls beyond basic I/O, such as sendfile() for efficient data transfer, getrlimit() for setting resource limits, mlock() for locking physical memory, and uname() for obtaining system information. It also covers strace for tracing system calls.

• Inline Assembly and Security: The book provides an introduction to using inline assembly code for performance-critical tasks and direct hardware access. It concludes with a critical look at security, detailing user and group IDs, file system permissions, and common security vulnerabilities like buffer overruns and race conditions.

The book wraps up with a detailed example of a complete GNU/Linux application—a modular Web server that demonstrates many of the concepts discussed throughout the text. It also includes appendices on other development tools, low-level I/O, and a table of signals.

 Advanced Linux Programming (PDF)