Linux › Section A · The big picture › Topic A.3
The kernel: processes, memory, drivers, and system calls
The kernel is the one program that every other program depends on. It shares out the processor, guards each process's memory, operates the hardware and answers requests through system calls, and knowing how it does these four jobs explains most of what you see on a Linux system.
In this topic
- Four jobs for one program
- Process management: sharing the CPU
- Inside a context switch
- Memory management: the rules
- Virtual memory and the MMU
- Worked example: one address, two processes
- Device drivers
- System calls
- fork and exec
- Worked example: watching fork and exec in bash
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
This topic is part of Wuanberri Pro. Checking your access…