System Programming With Linux

System Programming aims to produce software which provides services to computer hardware.

• Disk Defragmentor etc

Application Programming aims to produce softwares which provides services to the user.

• Browsers and Word applicaton etc

Resources

My Instructor

• Sir Arif's Website Link
• Sir Arif Butt System Programming Playlist Link

Contents

In this Repository System Programming

• Introduction to system programming
• C compilation: A system programming perspective.
• Working of Linkers; Creating your own Libraries.
• UNIX make Utility
• GNU auto tools and cmake
• Exit handlers and Resource Limits
• Stack Behind the Curtain
• Heap behind the Curtain
• Design and code of UNIX more Utility
• UNIX File System Architecture
• UNIX File Management
• Design and code of UNIX ls Utility
• Programming Terminal Devices
• Process Management
• Design and code of Daemon Processes
• Process Scheduling Algorithm
• Design and code of UNIX shell Utility
• Multi Threaded Programming
• Overview of UNIX IPC and Signals
• Design and code of Signal handlers
• Programming UNIX pipes
• Programming UNIX Named pipes
• Message Queues
• Programming with Shared Memory
• Memory Mapped Files
• Synchronization among Threads
• Programming with POSIX Semaphores
• Socket Programming
• Exploiting Buffer Overflow vulnerability

SP AIMS

---

• Efficient Resource Management: System programming aims to efficiently manage system resources such as memory, CPU, and I/O devices. This involves designing algorithms and data structures that optimize resource utilization.

• Interfacing with Hardware: System programmers work on low-level code to interact directly with hardware components like disk drives, network cards, and peripherals. This allows applications to communicate with hardware effectively.

• Operating System Development: One of the primary goals of system programming is the development and improvement of operating systems. This includes designing kernels, system calls, and other critical components to provide a stable and secure environment for applications to run.

• Performance Optimization: System programmers focus on optimizing the performance of the system, making applications run faster and more efficiently. This may involve profiling, debugging, and tuning various parts of the system.

• Security and Protection: Ensuring system security and protection against unauthorized access and malicious attacks is a crucial aspect of system programming. This involves implementing security measures at the operating system level.

• Concurrency and Synchronization: System programmers deal with managing concurrency and synchronization between multiple processes and threads, ensuring that shared resources are accessed safely.

• Device Drivers: Creating device drivers is a key objective of system programming. Device drivers enable communication between the operating system and hardware devices, allowing them to function correctly.

• Virtualization and Containers: System programming is involved in building virtualization technologies and containerization platforms that allow for efficient resource utilization and isolation of applications.

• Real-Time Systems: For certain applications requiring real-time response, system programming is needed to develop systems capable of meeting strict timing constraints.

• Portability and Compatibility: System programmers strive to create systems and software that are portable and compatible across different platforms and architectures.

System

---

OS on Hardware
Users
Applications
AUI ----- API
OS Kernal
Hardware

• System Programmers write programs that may have to acquire data from the
  • File
  • Other program
  • OS itself

• After processing, the programs may have to write results to a shared resource, which other processes are also writing, or results may need to be delivered to another process asynchronously, i.e., not when the process asked for it, but at some later unpredictable time.

OS Services

---

• File Management
• Process Management
• Memory Management
• Information Management
• Signal handling
• Synchronization
• Communication (IPC)
• Device Drivers

Service Request

---

• By making system call
• By making library call that makes system call

System call

is the controlled entry point into the kernal code allowing a process to request kernal to perform a privieged operation.

• A system call changes the processor state from user mode to kernel mode, so that the CPU can access protected kernel memory.

• The set of system calls is fixed. Each system call is identified by a unique number.

• Each system call may have a set of arguments that specify information to be transferred from user space to kernel space and vice versa.

Additional Links

• Learning C
• Operating System
• Assembly x86-64
• Socket Programming
• Buffer Overflow
• Linux Utilities
• Programming Concepts
• Resources

---

Best Regards - Mehar Ehsaan