Understanding the Linux Kernel

• Daniel P. Bovet and Marco Cesati
• O'Reilly
• ISBN: 0596000022

Once again, I'm disappointed by a Linux Kernel book. Are there any good ones at all?

I'm in the minority here: Amazon loves it, all the reviewers sing its praises, so it must be only me who finds it confusing, incomplete, and annoying.

January 2003: There's a new edition of this just out: Understanding the Linux Kernel 2d Edition

Yes, it has value- I agree on that. But there's SO much left out, so much glossed over, left unexplained. I found myself confused, looking for more. I realize there's only so much you can do without writing tens of thousands of pages, but I still think this could be done better. Where's the editor here? Don't they read this, or have O'Reilly editors become either so non-technical that there's no chance of them recognizing incomplete coverage or (maybe worse) so darned techy that they just don't notice when something needs elucidation for us average folks? I'd guess the first.

This book will shortly be out of date anyway. There is an attempt in each chapter that is a few paragraphs labeled "Anticipating Linux 2.4", but I found those paragraphs raised so many questions that it really would have been better to leave them out entirely- they certainly weren't of much use.

Well, I'll keep buying Linux Kernel books- maybe eventually between enough of them I'll get the coverage I want.

Order (or just read more about) Understanding the Linux Kernel from Amazon.com

Comments?

More Articles by Tony Lawrence - Find me on Google+

Jump to Comments

Many of the products and books I review are things I purchased for my own use. Some were given to me specifically for the purpose of reviewing them. I resell or can earn commissions from the sale of some of these items. Links within these pages may be affiliate links that pay me for referring you to them. That's mostly insignificant amounts of money; whenever it is not I have made my relationship plain. I also may own stock in companies mentioned here. If you have any question, please do feel free to contact me.

Specific links that take you to pages that allow you to purchase the item I reviewed are very likely to pay me a commission. Many of the books I review were given to me by the publishers specifically for the purpose of writing a review. These gifts and referral fees do not affect my opinions; I often give bad reviews anyway.

We use Google third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.