Linux architecture: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:40, 31 December 2005

Revision as of 23:41, 31 December 2005

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'''This is a copy from [[Linux Kernel]]. Please add more if you can.'''

The Linux kernel includes true multitasking, [[virtual memory]], [[shared library|shared libraries]], demand loading, shared [[copy-on-write]] executables, proper [[memory management]], and [[TCP/IP]] [[computer network|networking]].

Today Linux is a module-loading [[monolithic kernel]]. [[Device driver]]s and kernel extensions typically run in [[ring 0]], with full access to the hardware, although some run in [[user space]]. Unlike standard monolithic kernels, device drivers are easily configured as [[module (Linux)|modules]], and loaded or unloaded while running the system. Also unlike standard monolithic kernels, device drivers can be pre-empted under certain conditions. This latter feature was added to handle [[hardware interrupt|hardware interrupts]] correctly, and to improve support for [[symmetric multiprocessing]]. Preemption also improves latency, increasing responsiveness and making Linux more suitable for real-time applications.

The fact that Linux is not a [[microkernel]] was the topic of a

famous [[flame war]] between [[Linus Torvalds]] and [[Andrew S. Tanenbaum|Andy Tanenbaum]] on comp.os.minix in [[1992]]. [http://www.dina.dk/~abraham/Linus_vs_Tanenbaum.html] [http://www.google.com/groups?threadm=12595%40star.cs.vu.nl]

The complete source code of various versions of the Linux kernel can be browsed at http://lxr.linux.no .