An open-access textbook on Linux — its history, architecture, and use. From the kernel and shell to scripting, networking, and modern containerised systems. For developers, system administrators, scientists, and anyone who wants to understand how the operating system that runs the internet actually works.
Chapters
Foundations
- 1 Introduction: What Is Linux?
- 2 A History of Unix and Linux
- 3 The Linux Kernel
- 4 The Filesystem Hierarchy
The Command Line
System Administration
- 9 Users, Groups, and Permissions
- 10 Processes and Job Control
- 11 Package Management
- 12 Networking
- 13 System Services and systemd
Programming and Tools
Modern Linux
© 2026 Dr Chris Paton. All rights reserved.