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Core program Enrolling now

Go where most engineers never do — inside the subsystems that make Linux run

Linux Kernel Infrastructure & Interfaces

A deep dive into the subsystems that make Linux work — memory management, concurrency and synchronization, timekeeping and scheduling. Move beyond user space and build the kernel foundation every driver and embedded-Linux engineer needs.

🧠 Kernel internals, demystified
🔒 Memory, locking & concurrency
🛠 The foundation for driver dev
Enroll now ★★★★★ Rated by 10,000+ engineers trained since 2003

OverviewAbout this program

Bundled program. Linux Kernel Infrastructure is taught and sold together with Linux Device Drivers as the Kernel + Device Drivers bundle — it is not offered as a standalone enrollment.

Linux Kernel Infrastructure takes you inside the kernel to write, build and debug real kernel code on a modern 6.x kernel — loadable modules, kernel and virtual memory, DMA, synchronization, scheduling, timers, and the notifier and security subsystems that hold Linux together.

It is rigorously hands-on: every subsystem is paired with labs on x86-64 and ARM64, modern observability tooling, and real debugging workflows — from memory and concurrency bugs to crash-dump analysis. You finish able to reason about, instrument, and safely change kernel behaviour in production systems.

OutcomesKey takeaways

  • ✓ The ability to write, build, and load kernel modules and navigate the kernel source tree
  • ✓ A working model of kernel memory, virtual memory, and DMA
  • ✓ Mastery of kernel synchronization — locks, RCU, barriers, lock-free patterns
  • ✓ Hands-on fluency with scheduling, timing, deferred work, and notifier chains
  • ✓ Practical kernel debugging using KASAN, KFENCE, lockdep, kmemleak, UBSAN, and crash dumps

Curriculum14 modules · hands-on, lab-intensive in C

Go inside the kernel — write, build and debug real kernel code: memory and DMA, synchronization, scheduling, the VFS, block and networking subsystems, security and observability — on a modern 6.x kernel.

01Kernel Interfaces & User–Kernel Communication⌄
  • Exposing kernel data to user space through virtual filesystems
  • The proc filesystem (procfs)
  • The debug filesystem (debugfs) for diagnostics and tunables
  • The sysfs interface and the device/attribute model
  • Sequence-file (seq_file) interfaces for safe, iterable output
  • Character-device interfaces and file operations
  • Safely moving data across the user/kernel boundary
02Inside the Kernel Memory Allocators⌄
  • The page allocator and buddy system
  • Allocation flags and context (atomic vs sleeping)
  • NUMA-aware allocation
  • Slab allocation and fixed-size caches
  • The SLUB allocator, custom caches, and memory pools
  • Object reuse and information-leak prevention
  • Virtually-contiguous allocation
  • DMA memory: coherent, streaming, and contiguous (CMA)
  • Per-CPU memory
03The Virtual Memory Subsystem⌄
  • Address translation and page-table walks (x86-64 and ARM64)
  • Huge pages
  • Virtual memory areas and process memory layout
  • Memory mapping types and permissions
  • User-to-physical address translation
04Mastering Kernel Concurrency⌄
  • Kernel threads
  • Atomics, spinlocks, and semaphores
  • Reader-writer locks and sequence locks
  • Memory barriers and ordering
  • Read-copy-update (RCU)
  • Lock-free data structures
  • Completions, wait queues, and per-CPU synchronization
  • Reference counting and lock validation
05Scheduler Internals⌄
  • How and when the scheduler runs
  • Preemption and reschedule paths
  • Scheduler classes and time slicing
06Time, Timers & Deferred Work⌄
  • Kernel time sources and timekeeping
  • Delays and sleeps
  • Kernel timers
  • Deferred work: softirqs, tasklets, and workqueues
  • High-resolution and advanced timers
07The Virtual Filesystem (VFS) & Filesystems⌄
  • The VFS abstraction: superblock, inode, dentry and file objects
  • File, inode and address-space operations
  • The page cache and writeback
  • Mounting and the filesystem namespace tree
  • Writing a minimal in-kernel filesystem (libfs/ramfs)
  • Pseudo and special filesystems
08The Block I/O Layer & Storage Stack⌄
  • The block layer architecture and the bio structure
  • Multi-queue block I/O (blk-mq) and request handling
  • I/O schedulers and request merging
  • The device-mapper and stacked block devices
  • Writing a simple block device driver
  • Block-layer tracing and performance
09Kernel Networking Stack Internals⌄
  • The socket buffer (sk_buff) and net_device model
  • Packet receive and transmit paths
  • Protocol handlers and the layered network stack
  • NAPI and high-throughput receive
  • Netfilter hooks and packet filtering
  • XDP and fast-path packet processing
10Kernel Event Notification (Notifier Chains)⌄
  • The kernel's publish-subscribe event model
  • System lifecycle events: CPU hotplug, modules, OOM, power
  • Networking notifiers
  • Custom notifier chains
  • Crash/shutdown and device-bus notifications
11Kernel Security & Access Control⌄
  • Process credentials
  • Capabilities and fine-grained privilege
  • Syscall filtering (seccomp)
  • Mandatory access control (AppArmor / LSM)
12Hardening the Kernel Attack Surface⌄
  • Kernel attack surface and the self-protection model
  • Address-space layout randomization (KASLR)
  • Stack protection and guard pages
  • User/kernel access boundaries (SMEP/SMAP, PAN/PXN, KPTI)
  • Hardened user-space data copies
  • Control-flow integrity
  • Read-only and immutable kernel data
  • Lockdown mode and exposure restrictions
  • Module signing and integrity
  • Hardened kernel configuration
13eBPF: Programmable Kernel & Observability⌄
  • Running sandboxed programs inside the kernel
  • The eBPF execution and safety model (verifier, JIT)
  • Maps for kernel ↔ user-space data sharing
  • Attach points: probes, tracepoints, and trace hooks
  • Tracing and observability tooling
  • Portable eBPF programs (CO-RE)
  • Networking and security program types
  • eBPF vs kernel modules — when to use each
14Kernel Debugging & Diagnostics⌄
  • Debug-instrumented ARM64 kernel
  • Memory error detection (KASAN, KFENCE, kmemleak)
  • Deadlock and locking validation (lockdep)
  • Undefined-behavior and atomic-context checks (UBSAN)
  • Address-layout randomization (KASLR)
  • Crash dump and OOPS analysis

Before you startPrerequisites

You need solid C, comfort with the Linux command line, and a working understanding of processes, memory and the syscall interface. Building a kernel from source and writing your first loadable module are covered in our Linux Systems Engineering program — the ideal lead-in to this course.

AudienceWho should enroll

Systems EngineersEmbedded EngineersDriver DevelopersPerformance EngineersKernel AspirantsLinux Kernel DevelopersPlatform / BSP EngineersDebug & Triage EngineersEmbedded Systems Architects
  • ✓ Systems / embedded engineers moving from userspace into kernel development
  • ✓ Driver developers who need a rigorous grounding in kernel internals
  • ✓ Engineers working on performance, concurrency, or reliability at the kernel level

Your mentorLearn directly from the founder

Raghu Bharadwaj

Raghu Bharadwaj

Founder & Chief Mentor

75+ onsite trainings · 45+ enterprise clients · 10,000+ careers transformed since 2003. A thought leader in Embedded Linux education and the architect of TECH VEDA's hands-on training model.

ReviewsParticipant experiences

★★★★★

"I had a dream of learning all about Linux directly from Raghu Sir for ten years and it got fulfilled this year. He is an exceptional teacher with great control over the subject and crystal-clear communication. I enrolled for all four Linux courses — I don't want to miss an iota of what he teaches."

AR
Abhishek Roy
★★★★★

"These sessions extensively cover the whys and the hows of the engineering behind the core features of the kernel. Irrespective of one's background, you always find something to ponder and explore after each session."

DS
Debmalya Sarkar
★★★★★

"TECH VEDA is the best place to become a master in the Linux kernel and device-driver development. Raghu Sir's way of teaching is excellent — he explains complex topics in a way a student can understand easily."

MG
Muddukrishna Gali

FAQsCommon questions

I want to learn Linux device drivers — are kernel skills necessary?+
Yes. Drivers run inside the kernel and rely on its subsystems — memory, synchronization, debugging. Without this foundation, driver development becomes difficult and error-prone.
In which domains can Linux kernel engineers find employment?+
Embedded systems, semiconductors, networking, cloud, cybersecurity and edge-AI — in short, any field where software must work tightly with hardware and performance is critical.
How does this fit with the Device Drivers program?+
Kernel Infrastructure is the foundation; Device Drivers builds directly on it. Many engineers take them in sequence — see the learning tracks for combo options.

Clients who engaged us for Linux kernel skills

UTCTech MahindraSTMicroelectronics NCRLattice SemiconductorHARMAN

Ready when you are

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