Developing Linux Device Drivers (LFD430) Training

We offer private customized training for groups of 3 or more attendees.

Course Description

 
This course will teach you how to develop device drivers for Linux systems, grounded with a basic familiarity and understanding of the underlying Linux kernel. You will learn: The different kinds of device drivers used in Linux ... The appropriate APIs through which devices (both hardware and software) interface with the kernel. ... Necessary modules and techniques for developing and debugging Linux drivers ... And more.
Course Length: 4 Days
Course Tuition: $2800 (US)

Prerequisites

Knowledge of basic kernel interfaces and methods such as how to write, compile, load and unload modules, use synchronization primitives, and the basics of memory allocation and management

Course Outline

 
Introduction
 
Preliminaries
 
Device Drivers
 
Modules and Device Drivers
 
Memory Management and Allocation
 
Character Devices
 
Kernel Features
 
Transferring Between User and Kernel Space
 
Interrupts and Exceptions
 
Timing Measurements
 
Kernel Timers
 
ioctls
 
Unified Device Model and sysfs
 
Firmware
Sleeping and Wait Queues
 
Interrupt Handling: Deferrable Functions and User Drivers
 
Hardware I/O
 
PCI
 
Platform Drivers**
 
Device Trees**
 
Direct Memory Access (DMA)
 
Network Drivers I: Basics
 
Network Drivers II: Data Structures
 
Network Drivers III: Transmission and Reception
 
Network Drivers IV: Selected Topics
 
USB Drivers
 
Power Management
 
Block Drivers
 
** These sections may be considered in part or in whole as optional. They contain either background reference material, specialized topics, or advanced subjects. The instructor may choose to cover or not cover them depending on classroom experience and time constraints.
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Linux Unix Uses & Stats

Linux Unix is Used For:
Desktop Mainframe Computers Mobile Devices Embedded Devices
Difficulty
Popularity
Year Created
1991/1971
Pros
Performance:
Linux supports many efficient tools and operates them seamlessly. Because it's architecture is lightweight it runs faster than both Windows 8.1 and 10. 
 
Security:
Because Linux is an open-source software,  anyone can contribute code to help enhance the users’ experience i.e., adding features, fixing bugs, reducing security risks, and more.
 
 
Software Development:
The terminal in Linux is a *wild card*. You can do almost anything with it. This includes software installation, application and server configurations, file system management, and etc.
 
Large-scale:
Open-source projects benefit from having an attentive community. As a result, Linux is more secure than Windows. Instead of installing anti viruses to clean malware, you just have to stick to the recommended repositories. 
 
Efficient: 
Developers have the convenience of running servers, training machine learning models, accessing remote machines, and compiling and running scripts from the same terminal window. 
 
Free: 
Linux is free (you can put it on as many systems as you like) and you can change it to suit your needs.
Cons
Learning Curve: 
Linux is not for everyone, there is a learning curve in switching to Ubuntu. To actually learn Linux efficiently would take a user one to several years.
 
No Tech Support:
Unlike Windows, there isn’t a dedicated tech support, so getting help for things is up to you. 
 
Designer Compatabilty:
Linux is not as user friendly as Windows or as ‘straight out of the box design’ As an example for design choices, Adobe hasn’t released any of its products to Linux users. So it’s impossible to run them directly. The Ubuntu alternative is a free software called GIMP. 
 
Gaming Capabilities: 
Most games aren’t available in Linux. But that’s not to say you can’t make it happen, it's just not as easy.   
Linux Unix Job Market
Average Salary
$85k-$105k
Job Count
n/a
Top Job Locations

New York City
Boston
San Francisco 

Complimentary Skills to have along with Linux Unix
The following are types of jobs that may require Linux skills.  The top 15 job titles on Dice.com that mention Linux in their postings are:
- DevOps Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Java Developer
- Systems Engineer
- Systems Administrator
- Senior Software Engineer
- Network Engineer
- Python Developer
- Linux Systems Administrator
- Software Developer
- System Administrator
- Linux Administrator
- Linux Engineer
- Senior Java Developer
- C++ Developer

Interesting Reads Take a class with us and receive a book of your choosing for 50% off MSRP.