Improve your programming through a solid understanding of C pointers and memory management. With this practical book, you’ll learn how pointers provide the mechanism to dynamically manipulate memory, enhance support for data structures, and enable access to hardware. Author Richard Reese shows you how to use pointers with arrays, strings, structures, and functions, using memory models throughout the book.

Difficult to master, pointers provide C with much flexibility and power―yet few resources are dedicated to this data type. This comprehensive book has the information you need, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced C or C++ programmer or developer.

Get an introduction to pointers, including the declaration of different pointer types
Learn about dynamic memory allocation, de-allocation, and alternative memory management techniques
Use techniques for passing or returning data to and from functions
Understand the fundamental aspects of arrays as they relate to pointers
Explore the basics of strings and how pointers are used to support them
Examine why pointers can be the source of security problems, such as buffer overflow
Learn several pointer techniques, such as the use of opaque pointers, bounded pointers and, the restrict keyword

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Linux for the Superuser

Unlike some operating systems, Linux doesn’t try to hide the important bits from you—it gives you full control of your computer. But to truly master Linux, you need to understand its internals, like how the system boots, how networking works, and what the kernel actually does.

In this third edition of the bestselling How Linux Works, author Brian Ward peels back the layers of this well-loved operating system to make Linux internals accessible. This edition has been thoroughly updated and expanded with added coverage of Logical Volume Manager (LVM), virtualization, and containers.

You'll learn:

How Linux boots, from boot loaders to init (systemd)
How the kernel manages devices, device drivers, and processes
How networking, interfaces, firewalls, and servers work
How development tools work and relate to shared libraries
How to write effective shell noscripts


You’ll also explore the kernel and examine key system tasks inside user-space processes, including system calls, input and output, and filesystem maintenance. With its combination of background, theory, real-world examples, and thorough explanations, How Linux Works, 3rd Edition will teach you what you need to know to take control of your operating system.

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

Hands-on coverage of the LVM, journald logging system, and IPv6
Additional chapter on virtualization, featuring containers and cgroups
Expanded discussion of systemd