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The Advantages of Kernel in Linux

In the world of computers, a kernel is a core program that manages a computer's resources for the operating system. The managed resources include the processes (running programs), the memory, cpu and hardware devices. The Linux kernel provides resource management for the Linux operating system. It is a monolithic kernel that supports more hardware than any other operating system in history, according to Greg Kroah-Hartman, one of the Linux kernel developers.

  1. Open Source

    • The Linux kernel consists of more than four million lines of code, making it one of the largest open-source projects. The entire code base can be viewed and modified by anyone. With a large number of developers viewing the source code, security problems can be spotted and corrected quickly. It also allows developers to write the code required to support new hardware and to adapt it to changing technologies and conditions.

    Monolithic with Support for Dynamically Loadable Modules

    • The Linux kernel is monolithic -- all of the basic services are lumped into the kernel. A monolithic kernel provides direct access to the hardware. There is no queue for processor time. Processes can communicate with each other. Supported hardware works automatically, without the need for additional software.

      The Linux kernel also supports dynamically loadable modules. Only the necessary modules are loaded during the boot process. Users can load additional modules when they are needed, without having to reboot the operating system.

    True Multi-Tasking

    • The Linux kernel is designed to support multiple users running multiple processes (programs) simultaneously. Each running process has its own virtual address space. The address spaces are completely separate from one another. This keeps a failed process from causing the entire system to fail. The kernel allocates system resources for each process individually.

    Support for Hardware and File Systems

    • Linux supports can be run on many different computer architectures, including ARM, PA-RISC, IBM, Intel, x86, and SPARC. It also supports a large number of peripherals such as USB devices, CD/DVD drives, webcams and printers, all without the need for additional drivers. The kernel recognizes the architecture and the plugged-in peripherals during the boot process and loads the appropriate software to run them.

      Linux supports multiple file systems, including the Ext3, ReiserFS, HPFS, MS-DOS, NFS and SysV file systems. The most commonly used Linux file systems are Ext3 and Ext4. You can choose to use another type, such as ReiserFS. Linux supports MS-DOS and NFS in order to read Windows and network drives.

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