What do people mean by "Linux is just a kernel."?
Sunday, March 27th, 2011 at
05:09
I have heard in more then one place that Linux is not a real operating system, but that it’s just a kernel.
What do people mean by this?
If it’s not an OS, then why can I boot into a graphical gui, run applications, and type in commands? Are these not the core functions of an OS?
Thanks!
Tagged with: core functions • kernel • Linux • real operating system
Filed under: Linux Applications
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A computer operating system (OS) is like a car. The kernel is akin to an engine. A Chevrolet Caprice and a Chevy Silverado pickup are completely different vehicles with different uses, yet they are built around the same V/8 engine.
In simplest terms, the kernel is the more or less the "core" of the OS… The heart. The same kernel can have different variations of Linux built around it, which are known as "distributions."
You can obtain Linux distibutions in ready to use OS packages. The suppliers have built their own OS around the standard Linux core. You may even build your own distibution around the core.
This is the simplest explanation, although somewhat imprecise. Linus Torvalds developed the Unix-based Linux kernel, and made it freely available for anyone to use as the basis for a Linux OS distribution. This prevents each OS developer from having to re-invent the wheel.
So yes, in the strictest of terms, Linux is actually only the kernel. The I/O functions and graphical interface that make up a working operating systems are Linux distributions, and differ according to what each developer chooses to do. Linux packages built around the same kernel can have a very different look and feel, and be skewed toward a specific function or purpose, just as a pickup and a sedan differ.
Take a look at http://www.linux.org/info/
The kernel is just one part of the OS. There are many Linux distributions such as Red Hat, Ubuntu, Slackware, etc.
The GNU project started in the early 1980s to make a completely free (as in freedom) operating system. They created all the programs one needs in an operating system except the kernel. The kernel is the program in an OS that basically gives the hardware the operations that is entered from the OS.
Linus Torvalds, a Finnish College Student, made Linux and realeased it under the GNU GPL. They took this and the GNU project finally had it’s kernel. People were able to use a computer in freedom.
A rift grew because of the politics of Linus Torvalds because he believe every software license is valid, where the GNU project valued freedom among all software. So, the OS is called GNU/Linux since every other piece of the OS are projects of GNU. Calling the system Linux is leading people to the philosophy of Linus Torvalds and away from the philosophy of Richard Stallman and the GNU project. GNU is about freedom.
I believe they are referring to its size.
Think of an operating system like a car. Then the kernel is like the engine.
In the linux world, the "distro" is like the rest of the car. So, for all linux based distros (eg: ubuntu, suse, debian, slackware, etc.) They use the same linux kernel, but the programs are what make it into an actual operating system. The job of the kernel is creating a layer between the hardware and the software (called the HAL; hardware abstraction layer). and doing things like memory management, process security, etc.
Windows has a kernel as well, we call the NT Kernel.
Go to wikipedia and read up on what exactly a kernel is and what it does: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernel_(computer_science)
Linux is actualy a concept more then an actual OS. Linus Torval designed the Linux OS kernel than gave it out as an open source for software designers to build upon it. as a result over 100 different flavors of linux have existed. many of them where nothing more then custom versions of the same program, kind of like different presentations in powerpiont. they are all different but they are all running in the same program. these days there are only a few major flavors of linux, like red hat and and knoppix, wich is a stream lined form of linux that can be run from disk since it takes up only one disk for the whole program in non-compressed format, kind of like firefox.
so there you have it. that is why many people say linux us a kernel.
Linux refers to any Unix-like computer operating system which uses the Linux kernel.It’s open source which means it’s free to download with no license fees. Many large companies are now using this instead of Solaris or AIX for their mid-range servers. For more information go to http://www.linux.com/