Programs, Processes, and Files
From Build It Yourself
Who it is for: Developers who learn best by building something that works.
Working manuscript · 2027–2028 Edition. The full book is forthcoming; text and illustrations may change.
Running a Python file creates operating-system state that the source file does not contain: memory, open files, an execution position, and a process identifier. The shell, database, and server in this book all manipulate some part of that state. We will begin by separating the program stored on disk from the process executing it.
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Keep exploring Build It Yourself
Build a small shell, key-value database, and HTTP server from scratch. Work through the processes, files, and sockets that make them run.
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