Saturday, December 27, 2008

Understanding the Linux Kernel or Digital Sports Photography

Understanding the Linux Kernel

Author: Daniel P Bovet

In order to thoroughly understand what makes Linux tick and why it works so well on a wide variety of systems, you need to delve deep into the heart of the kernel. The kernel handles all interactions between the CPU and the external world, and determines which programs will share processor time, in what order. It manages limited memory so well that hundreds of processes can share the system efficiently, and expertly organizes data transfers so that the CPU isn't kept waiting any longer than necessary for the relatively slow disks.

The third edition of Understanding the Linux Kernel takes you on a guided tour of the most significant data structures, algorithms, and programming tricks used in the kernel. Probing beyond superficial features, the authors offer valuable insights to people who want to know how things really work inside their machine. Important Intel-specific features are discussed. Relevant segments of code are dissected line by line. But the book covers more than just the functioning of the code; it explains the theoretical underpinnings of why Linux does things the way it does.

This edition of the book covers Version 2.6, which has seen significant changes to nearly every kernel subsystem, particularly in the areas of memory management and block devices. The book focuses on the following topics:

Memory management, including file buffering, process swapping, and Direct memory Access (DMA)

The Virtual Filesystem layer and the Second and Third Extended Filesystems

Process creation and scheduling

Signals, interrupts, and the essential interfaces to device drivers

Timing

Synchronization within the kernel

Interprocess Communication (IPC)

Program execution

Understanding the Linux Kernel will acquaint you with all the inner workings of Linux, but it's more than just an academic exercise. You'll learn what conditions bring out Linux's best performance, and you'll see how it meets the challenge of providing good system response during process scheduling, file access, and memory management in a wide variety of environments. This book will help you make the most of your Linux system.



Interesting book: Body Talk or Hunger Free Forever

Digital Sports Photography

Author: G Newman Lowranc

Get an insider's look at the techniques, equipment, and know-how needed to take eye-catching and inspiring sports action photographs with "Digital Sports Photography, Second Edition." Written by an experienced professional sports photographer and featuring firsthand insight and ideas from other industry pros, this book provides the basics of sports photography whether you are just getting started or want to enhance your skills. You'll learn about color management, camera setup, equipment options, shutter speeds, composition, and more to help you attain professional-quality results with a digital camera. You'll also discover what a sports photo editor looks for when selecting images, knowledge you can use to help you take the best possible shots, whether you aspire to be a professional or just want to take great sports photos for fun. The book concentrates on shooting six major sports—baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and tennis—while providing methods and strategies that can be used to photograph any sport, at the amateur, collegiate, or pro level. Filled with fantastic images to illustrate the skills taught, a full-color gallery of images taken by the author, and even a glossary of helpful photography terms, "Digital Sports Photography, Second Edition" provides invaluable information and guidance on the excitingand challenging world of sports photography.



Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: How I Made It In Sports Photography Chapter 2: From Film to Digital: The Transformation Chapter 3: The Basics of Shooting Sports Chapter 4: What an Editor Looks For Chapter 5: Shooting Baseball Chapter 6: Shooting Football Chapter 7: Shooting Basketball Chapter 8: Shooting Hockey Chapter 9: Shooting Soccer Chapter 10: Shooting Tennis

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