FreeBSD Device Drivers Book

FreeBSD Device Drivers: From First Steps to Kernel Mastery has been released as version 2.0 (April 2026).

• It is a free, open-source book spanning 38 chapters, 6 appendices, and over 4,500 pages.
• The target audience ranges from beginners with little C, UNIX, or kernel experience to working FreeBSD developers.
• The learning scope starts with UNIX fundamentals and the C language, then continues through kernel modules, character devices, synchronization, PCI, interrupts, DMA, power management, debugging, USB, storage, and network drivers.
• A myfirst driver runs throughout the entire book, expanded step by step, designed to reinforce attach/cleanup/locking patterns through repetition.
• It has been verified against the FreeBSD 14.3 source tree, and the exercises are structured to build and load on actual FreeBSD 14.x systems.
• Distribution formats include PDF, EPUB, HTML, and Markdown source, with AI translations into Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish available alongside the original English.
• Total study time, combining reading and exercises, is estimated at about 200 hours, roughly 6 months at 5 hours per week.
• However, it is noted that the translated versions have not yet undergone a full human technical review.