Operating System Design Book Series

This page hosts the list of books within the Operating System Design Book Series by Benjamin David Lunt. There are currently eight books planned with six already published and one in development.  Please note that the names and count of volumes may change as the need arises or interests change. Please visit this page every so often to see the progress of this series.  Thank you.

Please also note that I write these books for my enjoyment, not for a living.  I do this because I enjoy the process of the research, development, layout, and writing of these books. I also enjoy helping other people.  Yes, I do make a slight (and I mean slight) profit from them, but this doesn't even pay for the time I spend returning emails from readers asking questions.  I am grateful to help and am happy to and try to reply to every reader, but please don't expect the next greatest and wonderful book series from this.  I do this for the purpose that it is an enjoyment for me, it takes me away from my real job, and above all, I hope that others learn from my work.

I am grateful for all of the wonderful words many have sent in--and for those who sent not so nice words, I am still grateful, for no one can improve their work without learning from trial and error.  So please, if you have comments, I would be very grateful to hear them, good or bad.  When I release later versions of that book, I will surely try to include more information about a certain subject you ask for.

Thank you.

If you receive an error or do not receive a response from me at the 'fys [at] fysnet [dot] net' email address, please try 'benlunt [at] cableone [dot] net'.


This series of books is designed for the 32-bit x86 style platform, including Intel and AMD architectures.

Volume 1: The System Core: 2nd Edition: 2017 April 06 (320 pages)
Includes source and documentation for the boot process, BIOS information, moving to Protected Mode, memory allocation, a Round Robin style Single Tasking, Multi-threading Scheduler, as well as quirks and tweaks to the boot process.
This book will take you from the point you turn on the power to the point where you can start to call and execute tasks.
Includes complete assembly source code to a minimal functioning operating system, many utilities also including source code.
"Your Help" page.

Volume 2: The Virtual File System: 1st Edition: 2014 April 15 (204 pages)
Includes documentation on how to call the underlining file system drivers without being dependant on that underlining file system.  Shows details of a few popular file systems.
Includes source code and utilities to create file system images, for testing and learning the file system.

Volume 3: Media Storage Devices: 1st Edition: 2015 June 01 (228 pages)
Includes documentation on how to communicate with the Floppy Disk Controller, the ATA(PI) IDE Hard Disk Controller, and the SATA(PI) Hard Disk Controller using the AHCI (HBA) interface.
Includes source code and utilities to show how to do this.

Volume 4: Input and Output Devices: 1st Edition: 2016 May 01 (132 pages)
Includes documentation on how to detect, initialize, and communicate with the Parallel port, the Serial port, the PS/2 port(s), and a Bus Mouse Adapter Card, along with a keyboard and mouse.
Includes documentation on the popular Sound Blaster series audio controller.
Includes source code and utilities to show how to do this.
Volume 5: Misc System Services
 - Planned items to include:
   - MSRs (Model Specific Registers)
   - PCI IRQ Routing
   - Processor Thermal Control
   - System Management Mode
 - Current Status: 
   - Research and Development.  No estimated date available.


Volume 6: The Graphical User Interface: 1st Edition: 2016 July 04 (148 pages)
Includes documentation on how to create a Graphical User Interface.
Includes documentation on how to draw to the VESA screen using numerous resolutions and color depths.
Includes detailed source code on how to do all of this and display windows, controls, buttons, mouse movement, etc..
Does not use a third party GUI or graphics program. Everything is done within the included source code.  It is self contained.
Volume 7: The Network Interface
 - Current Status: 
   - Working network driver for two well known NIC cards
   - Some work has been done on the common interface protocols
   - More Research and Development needed.
     No estimated date available.

Volume 8: The Universal Serial Bus: 3rd Edition: 2018 April 20 (700 pages)
This book contains information about all four USB controller types, how to detect them, and how to send and receive data using many of the most popular USB devices used.
Includes information on detecting the controller using the PCI(e) bus.
Includes detailed diagrams, figures, and tables on how to set up and start the USB schedule, send and receive data, detecting what type of device is attached, and reading/writing to most popular USB devices.
Includes detailed examples for devices such as Mice, Keyboards, Thumb Drives, USB Floppy Disk, USB Cameras, and other similar devices.
Includes details and examples for USB 3.0 devices.
"Your Help" page.

I can be contacted at fys [at] fysnet [dot] net.