Название: Windows Kernel Programming, 2nd Edition
Автор: Pavel Yosifovich
Издательство: Leanpub
Год: 2022-09-30
Страниц: 382
Язык: английский
Формат: pdf (true), epub
Размер: 12.96 MB

Windows kernel programming is considered by many a dark art, available to select few that manage to somehow unlock the mysteries of the Windows kernel. Kernel development, however, is no different than user-mode development, at least in general terms. In both cases, a good understanding of the platform is essential for producing high quality code.

The book is a guide to programming within the Windows kernel, using the well-known Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE). This environment is familiar to many developers in the Microsoft space, so that the learning curve is restricted to kernel understanding, coding and debugging, with less friction from the development tools. The book targets software device drivers, a term I use to refer to drivers that do not deal with hardware. Software kernel drivers have full access to the kernel, allowing these to perform any operation allowed by the kernel. Some software drivers are more specific, such as file system mini filters, also described in the book.

Who Should Read This Book:
The book is intended for software developers that target the Windows kernel, and need to write kernel drivers to achieve their goals. Common scenarios where kernel drivers are employed are in the Cyber Security space, where kernel drivers are the chief mechanism to get notified of important events, with the power to intercept certain operations. The book uses C and C++ for code examples, as the kernel API is all C. C++ is used where it makes sense, where its advantages are obvious in terms of maintenance, clarity, resource management, or any combination of these. The book does not use complex C++ constructs, such as template metaprogramming. The book is not about C++, it’s about Windows kernel drivers.

What You Should Know to Use This Book:
Readers should be very comfortable with the C programming language, especially with pointers, structures, and its standard library, as these occur very frequently when working with kernel APIs. Basic C++ knowledge is highly recommended, although it is possible to traverse the book with C proficiency only.