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Overview of Linux Kernel Development

The document summarizes key aspects of the Linux kernel, including that it is monolithic and supports dynamic module loading. It supports symmetrical multiprocessing unlike traditional Unix. The kernel is preemptive and ignores some poorly designed Unix features. It provides information on kernel configuration and compilation, the lack of standard C library access, and debugging challenges due to lack of protection and small stacks. Key subsystems like memory management, process scheduling and system calls are also mentioned.

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Pushkar Pashupat
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4K views14 pages

Overview of Linux Kernel Development

The document summarizes key aspects of the Linux kernel, including that it is monolithic and supports dynamic module loading. It supports symmetrical multiprocessing unlike traditional Unix. The kernel is preemptive and ignores some poorly designed Unix features. It provides information on kernel configuration and compilation, the lack of standard C library access, and debugging challenges due to lack of protection and small stacks. Key subsystems like memory management, process scheduling and system calls are also mentioned.

Uploaded by

Pushkar Pashupat
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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 Linux kernel is monolithic.

 Linux supports the dynamic loading of kernel modules.

 Linux has symmetrical multiprocessor (SMP) support.


Traditional Unix did not.

 The Linux kernel is preemptive. Traditional Unix are not.

 Linux ignores some common Unix features that are thought


to be poorly designed, such as STREAMS, or standards that
are brain dead.
Linux Kernel Naming Convention

Where to find ?

http://www.kernel.org
 How : $ tar xvjf linux-x.y.z.tar.bz2 // $ tar
xvzf linux-x.y.z.tar.gz
 Where : /usr/src/linux
 Patches : $ patch -p1 < ../patch-x.y.z
Sr. No. Directory Description

1 arch Architecture-specific source

2 crypto Crypto API

3 Documentation Kernel source documentation

4 drivers Device drivers

5 fs The VFS and the individual file systems

6 include Kernel headers

7 init Kernel boot and initialization

8 ipc Interprocess communication code

9 kernel Core subsystems, such as the scheduler

10 lib Helper routines

11 mm Memory management subsystem and the VM

12 net Networking subsystem

13 scripts Scripts used to build the kernel

14 security Linux Security Module

15 sound Sound subsystem

16 usr Early user-space code (called initramfs)


 Configuring :
 Configuring options – prefixed by CONFIG_feature
 Boolean or Tristate :

yes, no, or module


$ make config
Or $ make menuconfig
Or $ make xconfig
Or $ make gconfig
 architecture and boot loader dependent.
 Eg., on an x86 using grub
copy arch/i386/boot/bzImage to /boot,
edit /boot/grub/grub.conf

Installing Modules :
% make modules_install
In /lib
 The kernel does not have access to the C
library.
 The kernel is coded in GNU C.
 The kernel lacks memory protection like user-
space.
 The kernel cannot easily use floating point.
 The kernel has a small fixed-size stack.
 Kernel Threads
 Process Scheduling
 System Calls

The relationship between applications, the C library,


and the kernel with a call to printf().
Interrupts, IRQ,ISR, entry point
 Memory allocation
 Pages :
 Smallest – word
 MMU manages the system's page tables with page-
sized granularity
 Virtual Filesystem (VFS)
 as varied as in user-space applications
 INCORRECT CODE, SYNCRONISATION

 Debugging:
 Seem difficult but quite easy.
 Unlike large software, have typical issues
 Time constraints, race conditions

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