Unlike some operating systems, Linux doesn t try to hide the important bits from you it gives you full control of your computer. But to truly master Linux, you need to understand its internals, like how the system boots, how networking works, and what the kernel actually does. In this completely revised second edition of the perennial best seller How Linux Works, author Brian Ward makes the concepts behind Linux internals accessible to anyone curious about the inner workings of the operating system. Inside, you ll find the kind of knowledge that normally comes from years of experience doing things the hard way. You ll learn: How Linux boots, from boot loaders to init implementations (systemd, Upstart, and System V) How the kernel manages devices, device drivers, and processes How networking, interfaces, firewalls, and servers work How development tools work and relate to shared libraries How to write effective shell scripts You ll also explore the kernel and examine key system ta