Tools of the Trade
Git, GCC, GDB, Make, perf, QEMU — a kernel hacker's toolbox.
Git Deep: The Kernel's Workflow
Git is not just a version-control tool — it is the kernel community's collaborative nervous system, and understanding its internals transforms you from a user into a power contributor.
GCC & Clang: Compilation Deep Dive
Master GCC and Clang — from source text to optimized machine code — and understand exactly how the Linux kernel is built.
Make & the Kernel Build System (Kbuild/Kconfig)
Master GNU Make from first principles, then climb to the Linux kernel's Kbuild/Kconfig system and build your first kernel image and loadable module from source.
GDB & Kernel Debugging (kgdb/KASAN)
Master the art of interrogating both userspace programs and a live Linux kernel — from GDB's assembly-level superpowers to catching memory bugs mid-flight with KASAN.
The ELF Format & Binary Tools
ELF is the universal language your compiler, linker, loader, and kernel all speak — master it and binaries become transparent.
Linkers & Loaders Deep
From source file to running process: understand how the linker stitches object files together, how the loader maps them into memory, and how the kernel uses linker scripts to build itself.
Tracing & Profiling: ftrace, perf, strace, ltrace
See exactly what your kernel is doing — from individual syscalls to CPU flamegraphs — using the professional tracing tools that Linux developers live inside.
QEMU & Virtualization for Kernel Dev
Master QEMU to build, boot, and debug custom Linux kernels safely — your own pocket lab where crashing the OS is just a restart away.