Ask HN: How to get started with low level Linux programming (iDroid)?

To recap: I'm fascinated by the iDroid project for porting the Android OS to the Apple iOS devices (I own an iPod Touch 1st gen and an iPhone 3GS) and I want to start writing code for the project since it seems really interesting to me as well as a playground to deepen my "hacking"/low-level coding skills.

I have over 7 years of C and C++ professional experience, mainly desktop apps, but I need some guidance on how to get started with the Linux as a whole and specifically Linux for embedded devices like the iPhones.

From my initial research I've found some of the "canonical" books:

* Linux programming as a whole (I'm a beginner in this): "Beginning Linux Programming"

* "Linux Device Drivers"

Well, let's say I know the "right" books, but I still confused on how to get started with the real code from the iDroid project codebase - is it better to read the books, do the code examples, and then dive in, or something else?

Thanks in advance