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Overview
This five-day Linux security course provides an in-depth exploration of the Linux Kernel, focusing on its internal architecture, core subsystems, and practical driver development. Learners gain both conceptual understanding and hands-on experience, developing and extending a sample character device driver while working directly with modern kernel source code.
The course examines how the Linux Kernel has evolved, highlighting architectural changes and features introduced across versions up to Linux kernel 6.17. Participants explore kernel mode versus user mode execution, process scheduling, memory management, device handling, and kernel security mechanisms. Throughout the course, learners analyse real kernel code, trace execution paths, and apply best practices for safe and portable kernel development.
Practical work forms a significant part of the learning experience, with structured exercises that reinforce theory through direct interaction with kernel subsystems and data structures. By the end of the course, learners will have the confidence to navigate kernel sources, develop device drivers, and reason about kernel behaviour from both functional and security perspectives.
Prerequisites
To benefit fully from this course, participants should have:
- Familiarity with user-mode programming concepts
- An understanding of system call interfaces and POSIX standards
- Experience with C systems programming
Target audience
This course only runs as a private cohort, and is designed for:
- Device driver developers working with Linux-based systems
- Security professionals analysing malware, rootkits, or kernel-level threats
- Software engineers seeking a deeper understanding of Linux Kernel internals
- Technical professionals responsible for low-level system integration or performance
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Describe the architecture of the Linux Kernel and the role of its core subsystems
- Explain the differences between user mode and kernel mode execution
- Navigate and analyse Linux Kernel source code effectively
- Build and deploy a fully functional Linux character device driver
- Understand task scheduling, process management, and kernel threading
- Explain how virtual memory is implemented and managed within the kernel
- Interface with and trace kernel system calls
- Use kernel debugging and tracing tools to investigate system behaviour
- Manipulate key kernel data structures, including task_struct and notification chains
- Apply best practices for portable, stable, and secure kernel module development
- Understand kernel security mechanisms, including capabilities and security modules
Course Outline
Introduction to the Linux Kernel
- Linux architecture overview and design philosophy
- Kernel features and version evolution from 2.6 to 6.17
- User mode versus kernel mode execution
- Devices in Linux and the kernel’s role in hardware abstraction
- Task scheduler overview and I/O scheduling concepts
Debugging and tracing the kernel
- Kernel debugging approaches and common challenges
- System call tracing with strace and ltrace
- Kernel tracing using tracefs and Linux event tracing
- Kernel logging with dmesg and /proc/kmsg
- Exploring the /proc and /sys virtual filesystems
- Kernel module utilities and lifecycle management
Working with kernel sources
- Navigating the Linux Kernel source tree
- Understanding directory structure and subsystem layout
- Using Linux Cross Reference to explore code paths
- Compiling and cross-compiling the Linux Kernel
The Linux kernel boot process
- Boot sequence from firmware to user space
- BIOS and EFI boot mechanisms
- Boot loaders and early kernel initialisation
- Kernel startup routines and transition to user mode
- Platform-specific considerations for Intel and ARM systems
Kernel programming survival guide
- Best practices for kernel development
- Writing portable and maintainable kernel modules
- Linked lists and common kernel data structures
- Synchronisation primitives, including atomic operations, spinlocks, and semaphores
- Notification chains and kernel messaging
- Using printk, /proc, and the seq_file interface
Kernel subsystems in depth
- System call mechanisms and execution paths
- Interrupt gates and fast system call interfaces
- Adding and tracing system calls
- Process and thread management
- Task creation, scheduling policies, and run queues
Creating a basic device driver
- Character device driver fundamentals
- Major and minor numbers and device registration
- udev integration and hotplug support
- sysfs interfaces for device visibility and management
Advanced kernel topics
- Kernel timekeeping concepts and timer mechanisms
- Delays, wait queues, and scheduling interactions
- Virtual memory architecture
- Dynamic memory allocation using kmalloc and kfree
- Slab and buddy allocators
Interrupt handling and deferred work
- Interrupt handling in kernel mode
- Requesting and managing IRQs
- Writing interrupt handlers safely
- Bottom halves, tasklets, softIRQs, and work queues
Kernel network architecture
- Overview of the Linux networking stack
- Network device structures and interfaces
- Ethernet fundamentals
- Introduction to Netfilter and packet filtering concepts
Linux kernel security
- Linux capabilities model
- Kernel security considerations and attack surfaces
- Linux security modules and policy enforcement
- Overview of SELinux and related mechanisms
Exams and assessments
There are no formal exams included in this course.
Learners are assessed through practical exercises, guided development tasks, and instructor-led review of kernel modules and code changes completed during the course.
Hands-on learning
The course is dedicated to practical, instructor-supported exercises.
Learners build and extend a Linux character device driver, work directly with kernel source code, and manipulate kernel data structures to reinforce understanding of core subsystems.
Hands-on tasks are designed to connect theory to real-world kernel development and analysis scenarios.
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