Building a Kernel
Go from reading about the kernel to actually compiling one yourself.
What you'll actually learn
Most people who've used Linux for years have never actually built the kernel they're running — it arrives pre-compiled from a distro and stays a black box. This track walks through configuring a real kernel build (deciding what actually gets compiled in versus left out), compiling it, and booting a machine into the exact kernel you built, so the boot process stops being something that just happens to you.
What you'll be able to do
You'll take a stock kernel config, deliberately change it — strip out a driver, enable a feature that isn't there by default — rebuild, and boot into the result, then know exactly why the machine behaves differently. That hands-on rebuild loop is what makes kernel version numbers and config options mean something concrete instead of just being lines in a changelog you skim past.
Syllabus
Leads to
Frequently asked
Roughly 1 hour across 6 hands-on quests — you can go at your own pace and pick up exactly where you left off.
You should be comfortable with C, Kernel Internals first — the skill tree unlocks Building a Kernel once you've cleared those.
Yes — Building a Kernel is fully available on the free tier, starting with a free first quest and no payment method required to sign up. Plus and Elite remove pacing limits but don't gate any of the Building a Kernel curriculum behind a paywall.
Create a free account and begin your first quest — no card required.
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