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Build a quad-core, 8-gig server for $900
Most enthusiastic programmers start out as over-engineers. It’s a side effect of caring deeply about our craft. With experience we learn that simplicity is king and less is more, but it takes effort....
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Why Brazil Loves Linux
[Disclosure: I am a dual American/Brazilian citizen. I've used Linux since 1996 and Microsoft products since 1990. I like both platforms.] Brazil often makes Linux-related headlines, the latest being...
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The Kernel Boot Process
The previous post explained how computers boot up right up to the point where the boot loader, after stuffing the kernel image into memory, is about to jump into the kernel entry point. This last post...
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Memory Translation and Segmentation
This post is the first in a series about memory and protection in Intel-compatible (x86) computers, going further down the path of how kernels work. As in the boot series, I’ll link to Linux kernel...
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CPU Rings, Privilege, and Protection
You probably know intuitively that applications have limited powers in Intel x86 computers and that only operating system code can perform certain tasks, but do you know how this really works? This...
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The Divided House of GPL
Back in 2000 The Onion made fun of Libertarians and published this nugget: Joking aside, a powerful idea attracts a wide range of people. Copyleft is such an idea. It turns copyright on its head by...
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Anatomy of a Program in Memory
Memory management is the heart of operating systems; it is crucial for both programming and system administration. In the next few posts I’ll cover memory with an eye towards practical aspects, but...
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How The Kernel Manages Your Memory
After examining the virtual address layout of a process, we turn to the kernel and its mechanisms for managing user memory. Here is gonzo again: Linux processes are implemented in the kernel as...
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Page Cache, the Affair Between Memory and Files
Previously we looked at how the kernel manages virtual memory for a user process, but files and I/O were left out. This post covers the important and often misunderstood relationship between files and...
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