Putting the “You” in CPU

A deep dive into how exactly your program can “run”on a machine. It’s simple question but it will lead you to explore a lot of interesting things: what’s is an instruction? How can we multitask on a CPU if its execution is sequential? How do memory isolation between kernal and different process work? What is a dawn syscall actually? And how to become an Elf-lord?

It’s well written and beautifully presented which make it approachable despite being very detailed ( if you wonder how detailed, there is a function by function analysis of how linux implement system call in chapter 3). If you’re anything like me and want to understand how your programs run all the ways down from your code to the hardware level then, this is for you. This has actually improved my understanding of how computers work and what the role of an kernel is. I cannot recommend reading it enough!

PS: I realised after reading the entire thing the the research and the writing was done by a 17 year old with the help of hackclub. This person probably has a bright future ahead of her, I wish I could have been so dedicated when i was 16 year old!

PPS : there is another one by same person about networking called how did I get here?. It’s on my reading list!. It’s also very cool.