How Linux Works - What Every Superuser Should Know, 2nd Edition, 2014

Unlike some operating systems, Linux doesn't try to hide the important bits from you—it gives you full control of your computer. But to truly master Linux, you need to understand its internals, like how the system boots, how networking works, and what the kernel actually does.

In this completely revised second edition of the perennial best seller How Linux Works, author Brian Ward makes the concepts behind Linux internals accessible to anyone curious about the inner workings of the operating system. Inside, you'll find the kind of knowledge that normally comes from years of experience doing things the hard way. You'll learn:


How Linux boots, from boot loaders to init implementations (systemd, Upstart, and System V)
How the kernel manages devices, device drivers, and processes
How networking, interfaces, firewalls, and servers work
How development tools work and relate to shared libraries
How to write effective shell scripts


About the Author
Brian Ward has been working with Linux since 1993. He is the author of The Linux Kernel-HOWTO, The Book of VMware, and The Linux Problem Solver.