Linux Device Drivers, Second Edition

Sources of Further Information

Most of the information we provide in this book is extracted directly from the kernel sources and related documentation. In particular, pay attention to the Documentation directory that is found in the kernel source tree. There is a wealth of useful information there, including documentation of an increasing part of the kernel API (in the DocBook subdirectory).

There are a few interesting books out there that extensively cover related topics; they are listed in the bibliography.

There is much useful information available on the Internet; the following is a sampling. Internet sites, of course, tend to be highly volatile while books are hard to update. Thus, this list should be regarded as being somewhat out of date.

http://www.kernel.org , ftp://ftp.kernel.org

This site is the home of Linux kernel development. You’ll find the latest kernel release and related information. Note that the FTP site is mirrored throughout the world, so you’ll most likely find a mirror near you.

http://www.linuxdoc.org

The Linux Documentation Project carries a lot of interesting documents called “HOWTOs”; some of them are pretty technical and cover kernel-related topics.

http://www.linux-mag.com/depts/gear.html

The “Gearheads only” section from Linux Magazine often runs kernel-oriented articles from well-known developers.

http://www.linux.it/kerneldocs

This page contains many kernel-oriented magazine articles written by Alessandro.

http://lwn.net

At the risk of seeming self-serving, we’ll point out this news site (edited by one of your authors) which, among other things, offers regular kernel development coverage.

http://kt.zork.net

Kernel Traffic is a popular site that provides weekly summaries of discussions on the Linux kernel development mailing list.

http://www.atnf.csiro.au/~rgooch/linux/docs/kernel-newsflash.html

The Kernel Newsflash site is a clearinghouse for late-breaking kernel news. In particular, it concentrates on problems and incompatibilities in current kernel releases; thus, it can be a good resource for people trying to figure out why the latest development kernel broke their drivers.

http://www.kernelnotes.org

Kernel Notes is a classic site with information on kernel releases, unofficial patches, and more.

http://www.kernelnewbies.org

This site is oriented toward new kernel developers. There is beginning information, an FAQ, and an associated IRC channel for those looking for immediate assistance.

http://lksr.org

The Linux Kernel Source Reference is a web interface to a CVS archive containing an incredible array of historical kernel releases. It can be especially useful for finding out just when a particular change occurred.

http://www.linux-mm.org

This page is oriented toward Linux memory management development. It contains a fair amount of useful information and an exhaustive list of kernel-oriented web links.

http://www.conecta.it/linux

This Italian site is one of the places where a Linux enthusiast keeps updated information about all the ongoing projects involving Linux. Maybe you already know an interesting site with HTTP links about Linux development; if not, this one is a good starting point.