在阅读了很多本计算机翻译过来的著作之后，我发现市面上够通俗而严谨地的书籍太少了，刚开始我以为只是我的英语水平太差（不否认，不否认），当我问了身边的几个朋友之后我发现这不是我一个人的想法；于是我开始斗胆尝试翻译一下这本《Understanding the Linux Kernel(3rd edition)》;不说了，开干！
Preface
In the spring semester of 1997, we taught a course on operating systems based on Linux 2.0. The idea was to encourage students to read the source code. To achieve this, we assigned term projects consisting of making changes to the kernel and per-forming tests on the modified version. We also wrote course notes for our students about a few critical features of Linux such as task switching and task scheduling.
Out of this work—and with a lot of support from our O’Reilly editor Andy Oram—came the first edition of Understanding the Linux Kernel at the end of 2000, which covered Linux 2.2 with a few anticipations on Linux 2.4. The success encountered by this book encouraged us to continue along this line. At the end of 2002, we came out with a second edition covering Linux 2.4. You are now looking at the third edition, which covers Linux 2.6.
As in our previous experiences, we read thousands of lines of code, trying to make sense of them. After all this work, we can say that it was worth the effort. We learned a lot of things you don’t find in books, and we hope we have succeeded in conveying some of this information in the following pages.
前言
在1997年的春季学期中，我们讲授了一门基于Linux2.0的操作系统课程。 开设这门课程的初衷是为了鼓励同学们阅读Linux的源代码。为了达到这个目标，我们布置了一些阶段性项目，这些项目既包含内核变化的内容，也包含了版本修改的验证性测试。同时，我们还为同学们整理了一些关于Linux重要特性的笔记——例如进程切换与进程调度。
出于以上的考虑，同时在O’Reilly出版社的编辑Andy Oram大力支持之下，我们在2000年底出版了第1版的《深入理解Linux内核》，该版本覆盖了Linux2.2内核的内容以及部分Linux2.4中将要更新的内容（Linux 2.4在2001.1.4发布-译者按）。该书的出版获得了巨大的成功，这也鼓舞着我们继续沿着这个方向走下去；在2002年末，我们出版了了覆盖Linux2.4内核的第2版。您正在阅读的这本《深入理解Linux内核》是基于Linux2.6的第3版。
在我们以往的经验积累过程中，我们阅读了数千行内核源码以竭尽全力理解这些代码。完成这些工作之后，我们有资格说这些努力都是值得的。在这个过程中，我们学到很多你在（其他）书本上无法获得的东西，在接下来的章节中我们详尽的阐述了这些来之不易的经验——这也是我们期待努力做到的。