06-12-2011
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Last Activity: 11 June 2014, 8:40 PM EDT
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The following are highly esteemed:
For the Linux kernel's interface (which is mostly POSIX compliant):
The Linux Programming Interface: A Linux and UNIX System Programming Handbook by Michael Kerrisk
For Linux kernel internals: Linux Kernel Development by Robert Love
For a tour of FreeBSD's guts (as of 5.x branch, which was a large change from 4.x and prior releases): The Design and Implementation of the FreeBSD Operating System by long time Berkeley hacker/historian McKusick and Neil.
Don't confuse that last one with The Design and Implementation of the 4.4 BSD Operating System which documents an older system (although it's useful for would-be NetBSD, OpenBSD, and DragonFlyBSD kernel hackers).
Tanenbaum's Minix-centric operating system textbooks are also highly regarded, though they are neither Linux nor FreeBSD related (although, iirc, Minix played a part in Linux's origins).
And, finally, if you really want to go old school, there's Lions' Commentary on UNIX 6th Edition. It's a much simpler kernel, which has its advantages for learning the basics.
Regards and good luck,
Alister