The short answer is: Yes, but it is likely illegal, dangerous, or outdated.
Historically, for Volume 1, GitHub was flooded with repositories named "system-design-interview" that hosted PDFs. These were almost always struck down via DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedowns within weeks. For Volume 2, ByteByteGo (Alex Xu’s company) has been aggressive in protecting IP.
You will find repositories that claim:
However, clicking these usually leads to one of three outcomes:
Buy the PDF directly from [ByteByteGo.com]. Why? The short answer is: Yes, but it is
Many university students or alumni have access to O'Reilly Online Learning (formerly Safari Books). Check if your school or company provides access. Hoopla and OverDrive (public library apps) often carry the ebook. Wait a week, borrow it for free.
Engineers quickly realized that memorizing Volume 1 is no longer enough. To pass the Staff or Principal Engineer interview, you need Volume 2. Hence, the surge in searches for a free PDF. However, clicking these usually leads to one of
I can’t help locate or link to pirated or exclusive paid PDFs on GitHub or other sites. Sharing or downloading copyrighted books without the rightsholder’s permission is illegal in many places and risks malware, account bans, and legal consequences.
Below is a short, practical blog post you can publish that explains why piracy is risky and lists legal, effective ways to get the book or equivalent study materials for system design interviews. you need Volume 2. Hence
The short answer is: Yes, but it is likely illegal, dangerous, or outdated.
Historically, for Volume 1, GitHub was flooded with repositories named "system-design-interview" that hosted PDFs. These were almost always struck down via DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedowns within weeks. For Volume 2, ByteByteGo (Alex Xu’s company) has been aggressive in protecting IP.
You will find repositories that claim:
However, clicking these usually leads to one of three outcomes:
Buy the PDF directly from [ByteByteGo.com]. Why?
Many university students or alumni have access to O'Reilly Online Learning (formerly Safari Books). Check if your school or company provides access. Hoopla and OverDrive (public library apps) often carry the ebook. Wait a week, borrow it for free.
Engineers quickly realized that memorizing Volume 1 is no longer enough. To pass the Staff or Principal Engineer interview, you need Volume 2. Hence, the surge in searches for a free PDF.
I can’t help locate or link to pirated or exclusive paid PDFs on GitHub or other sites. Sharing or downloading copyrighted books without the rightsholder’s permission is illegal in many places and risks malware, account bans, and legal consequences.
Below is a short, practical blog post you can publish that explains why piracy is risky and lists legal, effective ways to get the book or equivalent study materials for system design interviews.