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Everything about Linux namespaces

Feature of the Linux kernel that partitions kernel resources

Namespaces are a feature of the Linux kernel that partition kernel resources such that one set of processes sees one set of resources, while another set of processes sees a different set of resources. The feature works by assigning the same namespace type to a set of resources and processes, but allowing those namespaces to refer to distinctly isolated environments. This provides the illusion that a process or a process group is the sole user of the system's hardware and software resources. Examples of such resources include process IDs, hostnames, user IDs, file names, network interfaces, and inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: Linux namespacesA 5-minute orientation
  2. Pick up a classic book: Unix System Administration HandbookThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  3. Read the landmark paper: Linux Namespaces and cgroups as OS Primitives for Lightweight Virtualization: Architecture, Isolation Mechanisms, and Performance EvaluationCited 1 times
  4. Go sideways: CgroupsA closely related topic
  5. Go sideways: LXCA closely related topic

đź“– Definitions

No dictionary entry for this exact phrase.

🗂️ The subject at a glance

  1. History
  2. Namespace kinds
  3. Administrative hierarchy
  4. Implementation details
  5. Adoption

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

đź“š Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

đź”— Related topics