Should I Learn Linux Kernel?

Should I learn Linux Kernel? I've heard that it is a useful skill and that it is totally useless.

It depends on what you want to do. If you want to be a Windows programmer, it is rather useless and even frustrating to know something so much better exists.

Become a good programmer and improve my understanding of Linux.

Kernel programming gives you a good understanding of how operating systems work.

So would reading a programming book on it.

Kernel programming teaches you how to create device drivers.

Isn't that done in C these days?

Kernel programming is the next step up for those who are working in assembly language and C. Though, yes, you can write device drivers in C, too.

I knew that because the device drivers for many audio and video cards are written in C. But I don't want to necessarily be that close to the hardware.

If you learn Kernel programming, you have learned to control the heart of Linux. After that, it is easier to learn how to program applications and interfaces.

That's a great claim to fame if you want to be a Linux admin.

But you don't have to learn how to program the Linux kernel to write software for Linux or maintain a Linux server.

It sounds like it is useful to learn, if I want to strengthen my Linux skills.

Or your resume.

But I don't want to experiment on my Linux system and blow it up.

It is hard to blow up a Linux system, if you have a good understanding of Linux systems. There are hackers who keep viruses and malware as a grown up version of Sea Monkeys.

I'm not that advanced.

There are a bunch of great books on the Linux kernel.

I've already been reading about it.

You could get hands on practice by writing for the open source KernelNewbies.org site.

Aptly named site.