Linux System Programming, 2nd Edition

Appendix B. Bibliography

This bibliography presents recommended reading related to system programming, broken down into four subcategories. None of these works are required reading. Instead, they represent my take on the top books on the given subject matter. If you find yourself pining for more information on the topics discussed here, these are my favorites.

Some of these books address material with which this book assumes the reader is already conversant, such as the C programming language. Other texts included make great supplements to this book, such as the works covering gdb, Git, or operating system design. Whatever the case, I recommend them all. Of course, these lists are certainly not exhaustive—please do explore other resources.

Books on the C Programming Language

These books document the C programming language, the lingua franca of system programming. If you do not code C as well as you speak your native tongue, one or more of the following works (coupled with a lot of practice!) ought to help you in that direction. If nothing else, the first title—universally known as K&R—is a treat to read. Its brevity reveals the simplicity of C.

The C Programming Language, 2nd ed. Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie. Prentice Hall, 1988. This book, written by the author of the C programming language and his then coworker, is the bible of C programming.

C in a Nutshell. Peter Prinz and Tony Crawford. O’Reilly Media, 2005. A great book covering both the C language and the standard C library. ...