1.. _kernel_docs:
2
3Index of Further Kernel Documentation
4=====================================
5
6The need for a document like this one became apparent in the
7linux-kernel mailing list as the same questions, asking for pointers
8to information, appeared again and again.
9
10Fortunately, as more and more people get to GNU/Linux, more and more
11get interested in the Kernel. But reading the sources is not always
12enough. It is easy to understand the code, but miss the concepts, the
13philosophy and design decisions behind this code.
14
15Unfortunately, not many documents are available for beginners to
16start. And, even if they exist, there was no "well-known" place which
17kept track of them. These lines try to cover this lack.
18
19PLEASE, if you know any paper not listed here or write a new document,
20include a reference to it here, following the kernel's patch submission
21process. Any corrections, ideas or comments are also welcome.
22
23All documents are cataloged with the following fields: the document's
24"Title", the "Author"/s, the "URL" where they can be found, some
25"Keywords" helpful when searching for specific topics, and a brief
26"Description" of the Document.
27
28.. note::
29
30   The documents on each section of this document are ordered by its
31   published date, from the newest to the oldest. The maintainer(s) should
32   periodically retire resources as they become obsolte or outdated; with
33   the exception of foundational books.
34
35Docs at the Linux Kernel tree
36-----------------------------
37
38The Sphinx books should be built with ``make {htmldocs | pdfdocs | epubdocs}``.
39
40    * Name: **linux/Documentation**
41
42      :Author: Many.
43      :Location: Documentation/
44      :Keywords: text files, Sphinx.
45      :Description: Documentation that comes with the kernel sources,
46        inside the Documentation directory. Some pages from this document
47        (including this document itself) have been moved there, and might
48        be more up to date than the web version.
49
50On-line docs
51------------
52
53    * Title: **Linux Kernel Mailing List Glossary**
54
55      :Author: various
56      :URL: https://kernelnewbies.org/KernelGlossary
57      :Date: rolling version
58      :Keywords: glossary, terms, linux-kernel.
59      :Description: From the introduction: "This glossary is intended as
60        a brief description of some of the acronyms and terms you may hear
61        during discussion of the Linux kernel".
62
63    * Title: **The Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide**
64
65      :Author: Peter Jay Salzman, Michael Burian, Ori Pomerantz, Bob Mottram,
66        Jim Huang.
67      :URL: https://sysprog21.github.io/lkmpg/
68      :Date: 2021
69      :Keywords: modules, GPL book, /proc, ioctls, system calls,
70        interrupt handlers .
71      :Description: A very nice GPL book on the topic of modules
72        programming. Lots of examples. Currently the new version is being
73        actively maintained at https://github.com/sysprog21/lkmpg.
74
75Published books
76---------------
77
78    * Title: **Linux Kernel Development, 3rd Edition**
79
80      :Author: Robert Love
81      :Publisher: Addison-Wesley
82      :Date: July, 2010
83      :Pages: 440
84      :ISBN: 978-0672329463
85      :Notes: Foundational book
86
87.. _ldd3_published:
88
89    * Title: **Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Edition**
90
91      :Authors: Jonathan Corbet, Alessandro Rubini, and Greg Kroah-Hartman
92      :Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates
93      :Date: 2005
94      :Pages: 636
95      :ISBN: 0-596-00590-3
96      :Notes: Foundational book. Further information in
97        http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/linuxdrive3/
98        PDF format, URL: https://lwn.net/Kernel/LDD3/
99
100    * Title: **The Design of the UNIX Operating System**
101
102      :Author: Maurice J. Bach
103      :Publisher: Prentice Hall
104      :Date: 1986
105      :Pages: 471
106      :ISBN: 0-13-201757-1
107      :Notes: Foundational book
108
109Miscellaneous
110-------------
111
112    * Name: **Cross-Referencing Linux**
113
114      :URL: https://elixir.bootlin.com/
115      :Keywords: Browsing source code.
116      :Description: Another web-based Linux kernel source code browser.
117        Lots of cross references to variables and functions. You can see
118        where they are defined and where they are used.
119
120    * Name: **Linux Weekly News**
121
122      :URL: https://lwn.net
123      :Keywords: latest kernel news.
124      :Description: The title says it all. There's a fixed kernel section
125        summarizing developers' work, bug fixes, new features and versions
126        produced during the week.
127
128    * Name: **The home page of Linux-MM**
129
130      :Author: The Linux-MM team.
131      :URL: https://linux-mm.org/
132      :Keywords: memory management, Linux-MM, mm patches, TODO, docs,
133        mailing list.
134      :Description: Site devoted to Linux Memory Management development.
135        Memory related patches, HOWTOs, links, mm developers... Don't miss
136        it if you are interested in memory management development!
137
138    * Name: **Kernel Newbies IRC Channel and Website**
139
140      :URL: https://www.kernelnewbies.org
141      :Keywords: IRC, newbies, channel, asking doubts.
142      :Description: #kernelnewbies on irc.oftc.net.
143        #kernelnewbies is an IRC network dedicated to the 'newbie'
144        kernel hacker. The audience mostly consists of people who are
145        learning about the kernel, working on kernel projects or
146        professional kernel hackers that want to help less seasoned kernel
147        people.
148        #kernelnewbies is on the OFTC IRC Network.
149        Try irc.oftc.net as your server and then /join #kernelnewbies.
150        The kernelnewbies website also hosts articles, documents, FAQs...
151
152    * Name: **linux-kernel mailing list archives and search engines**
153
154      :URL: http://vger.kernel.org/vger-lists.html
155      :URL: http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/index.html
156      :URL: http://groups.google.com/group/mlist.linux.kernel
157      :Keywords: linux-kernel, archives, search.
158      :Description: Some of the linux-kernel mailing list archivers. If
159        you have a better/another one, please let me know.
160
161-------
162
163This document was originally based on:
164
165 https://www.dit.upm.es/~jmseyas/linux/kernel/hackers-docs.html
166
167and written by Juan-Mariano de Goyeneche
168