Learn to write real Linux software—not just run it. Most programmers never learn how Linux
really works. Why? Because system programming is rarely taught and the tools can be
intimidating without the right guidance. As a result many developers stick to high-level
languages and frameworks—writing code that runs on Linux without understanding how it interacts
with Linux. In today’s world that’s not enough to stand out. Especially as more companies
turn to AI to write their software the question becomes: How do you stay relevant in an
AI-driven world? You learn how things really work. If you’ve ever wondered how processes are
created how memory and files are managed or how programs communicate in a Unix environment
System Programming in Linux will make it all make sense. This is a hands-on guide to writing
software that interfaces directly with the Linux operating system. You’ll go beyond shell
commands and abstractions to understand what the kernel is doing—and how to leverage it through
your own code. Rather than telling you how to solve each problem Professor Stewart N. Weiss
guides you through the process of discovering the solution yourself. Start with the core
concepts of Unix and Linux then work your way up to advanced topics like process control
signals interprocess communication threading and non-blocking I O. Each chapter includes
conceptual diagrams annotated source code and practical projects to help you immediately
apply what you’ve learned. You’ll explore topics such as: The structure of Unix and Linux
operating systems—and why it matters Using system calls to create and manage processes The
mechanics of signals timers and interprocess communication Using synchronization tools to
write multithreaded programs Interacting with filesystems devices and terminals Building
text-based user interfaces using ncurses Developing programs that are robust efficient and
portable At Hunter College Professor Weiss built the course this book is based on and he has
helped thousands of students go from confusion to confidence in his over 40 years of teaching
programming. His clear conversational style technical depth and focus on real-world
application make this one of the most approachable and powerful system programming books
available. As Linux continues to dominate development server and embedded environments
understanding the system behind your software isn’t just helpful it’s essential. Whether
you’re a student developer or sysadmin this book gives you the tools to work directly with
Linux and the insight to understand what’s really happening under the hood.
