Strategies for getting started with kernel programming

1. Strace all thing!
2. Read some kernel code!
3. Write a kernel module!
4. Do the Eudalypta challenge
5. Write your own operating system
6. Do a Linux Kernel internship
   • Google Summer of Code
   • Outreach Program
7. Linux Weekly News!

Why you should Lean It

• Understanding Your Operation System Makes You A Better Programmer
• Treat Your Programs as A Black Box
• Your Operating System Is a Tool. Learn It.

Learn by Doing

PERF: TRACK L1 CACHE MISSES!

1. Track L1 Cache Misses
2. Flame Graph (function calling)

Ftrace: Tracing Kernel Functions

• tracking TCP retransmits

/proc

1. Pretty fun simple demo
   • run a program
   • get its PID
   • delete the executable
   • YOU CAN STILL RECOVER IT
   • ls /proc//exe
   • cat /proc//exe > demo_recover
   • ^C the program
   • grant execution permission to demo_recover
   • running demo_recover (Cool!)
2. /proc/*/fd

References

• 10 things you need to do before sending your patch to LKML
• The linux-kernel mailing list FAQ

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