Trace the full lifecycle of a Linux kernel - process

The kernel powers the Internet, the Cloud, servers training large language models on NVIDIA and AMD GPUs, Android devices, and IoT platforms, yet its rapid evolution makes systematic study difficult. Methodical Introduction to the Linux Kernel - Process guides readers from the user interface through the deepest kernel layers, covering versions up to 6.6, explaining how processes are created, populated, scheduled, context-switched, and executed.

The book traces the manifestation of a single new process from zero when no pre-existing process exists, detailing every key event and epoch in that progression. It examines the relationship between newly created processes and existing ones, clarifying mutual impacts. Readers gain the process management knowledge needed to customize the kernel and design secure, robust middleware and applications.

Readers will also find:

• An overview marking the key events and epochs in the complete process lifecycle from creation through execution
• Detailed analysis of kernel data structures that are populated when a new process is built from the ground up
• Coverage of scheduling mechanisms and context-switching procedures that govern how processes share processor time on modern hardware
• Guidance on making informed decisions about kernel customization to meet specific embedded system or application requirements

Written for graduate and senior undergraduate students in electrical engineering and computer science, this book also serves Android developers, IoT developers, embedded systems programmers, GPU programmers building large language models, and device driver writers seeking deep knowledge of Linux kernel process management.

Andrew Sohn received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, all from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. He was a NASA fellow, National Science Foundation fellow, and an invited scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Andrew co-founded and ran a Silicon Valley-based venture capital-backed software company that developed an elastic, on-demand computing infrastructure for enterprises. He has published numerous scientific papers in flagship conference proceedings and journals, including ACM/IEEE Supercomputing and IEEE transactions. He is currently with the Computer Science Department of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he is an associate professor. He is the recipient of the 2018 NJIT Alumni Association Award for teaching excellence.