Linux Training Overview

Fundamentally, a device driver implements the interface between a piece of peripheral hardware and the application. In a traditional unprotected, “flat” memory model system, a driver may be little more than a set of functions conforming to a well-defined API and statically linked into an executable image.

But in the context of a protected mode operating system such as Linux, device drivers take on added significance owing to the distinction between User space and Kernel space. This 3-day hands-on seminar provides an introduction to the wonderful world of programming in Kernel space. As such, it provides insights not only into device driver programming, but also into the philosophy and design strategies of the kernel itself.

Numerous programming exercises introduce the rich kernel API that offers a multitude of services to driver writers. You’ll learn how Linux handles asynchronous I/O in a way that is totally transparent to applications. You’ll examine the unique problems of debugging in Kernel space. Perhaps most important, you’ll see how much of a device driver involves interactions with the kernel that have nothing to do with accessing physical hardware.

Linux Training Course duration

3 Days

Linux Training Course outline

Brief review of basic Linux concepts

• Protected mode memory management - user space vs. kernel space
• File system and directory structure
• Development environment