The fundamental building block of an operating system, the kernel controls actions involving the CPU, memory, and input/output devices. These resources are distributed to various tasks or processes according to the kernel's scheduling mechanism. The kernel is the most crucial element of an operating system and is in charge of managing system resources and offering services to user programs. The use of a preemptive or non-preemptive kernel is one of the important choices an operating system designer must make. A preemptive kernel is one that can switch to another process in the middle of a running one without the running ... Read More

Introduction The Linux kernel is the core component of the operating system that provides essential functionality and manages system resources. Ubuntu, one of the most popular Linux distributions, usually ships with a specific version of the kernel. However, there may be instances where you want to install a different kernel version to access new features or address compatibility issues. In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing Kernel 3.16, the latest released version, in Ubuntu and its derivatives. We will also provide examples and detailed outputs of commands to help you along the way. Step 1: ... Read More

In operating system design, the kernel memory allocation is a critical aspect which involves the allocation of memory for kernel level operations and data structures. When a process is executing in user mode and it requests the additional memory, then the kernel maintains the allocation of pages from the list of free page frames. Hence, the kernel memory allocation can be defined as under − "The process by which the kernel of the operating system allocates memory for its internal operations and data structures is called kernel memory allocation." In other words, the process of allocating memory in the kernel ... Read More

In this post, we will understand the difference between microkernel and monolithic kernel −MicrokernelIt is smaller in size.In this kernel, the services are kept in a separate address space.It executes slowly in comparison to monolithic kernel.It can be extended easily.If a service crashes, it effects the working of the microkernel.The code to build a microkernel is large.Examples of microkernel include: QNX, Symbian, L4Linux, Singularity, K42, Integrity, PikeOS, HURD, Minix, Mac OS X, and Coyotos.Monolithic KernelIn monolithic kernel, both user services and kernel services are kept in the same address space.Monolithic kernel is larger than microkernel.It executes quickly in comparison to ... Read More

Unix PipesUnix Pipes are used in inter-process communication. A pipe as name suggests provides a unidirectional flow of information. Data flows from one end to another.Message QueuesMessage queue allows to share messages by a sender process to another process (es). A message queue is implemented as a linked list of messages and stored within kernel. Each message has a unique message queue identifier. The kernel keeps a record of message queues present in the system.The following are some of the important differences between Unix Pipes and Message Queues.Sr. No.KeyPipeMessage Queue1ConceptThe pipe is the Unix IPC form to provide a flow ... Read More

Both operating system and Kernel are types of system software. The basic difference between the two is that an operating system is a system software that acts as the interface between the users and the machine, while a kernel is a part of the operating system that converts user commands into machine language. Read through this article to find out more about operating systems and kernels and how they are different from each other. What is an Operating System? Operating System manages a computer and acts as an interface between user and computer. Operating system is the first program that ... Read More

Operating SystemAn operating system (OS) is a collection of software that manages computer hardware resources and acts as an interface between user and hardware of the computer. It provides common services for computer programs. The OS is a crucial component of the system software in a computer system.KernelKernel is the core part of operating system and responsible for all major activities of this operating system. Kernel consists of various modules and it interacts directly with the low level hardware. It also provides the required abstraction to hide low level hardware details to system or application programs. An operating system is ... Read More