A kernel is the central process that coordinates all the actions that a computer takes. It is the "central nervous system" of an operating system through which all your software must interact with.
Typically, a kernel manages the following tasks:
- Memory Management
- File System Management
- Device Interfaces
- Process Management
- Input and Output
All Linux distributions are based on the Linux Kernel originally devloped by Linus Torvalds. The current version of the Linux Kernel is maintained by hundreds of developers around the world.
The Linux Kernel supports a wide variety of architectures and computing platforms even more than Microsoft Windows. Module support within the kernel allows you to plug-in code specific to your hardware and eliminate parts you don't need.
Page last modified on May 11, 2005, at 06:18 PM