The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, responsible for managing hardware resources, providing fundamental services for all other software, and acting as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the processes running on the system.
History
The development of the Linux Kernel began in 1991 when Linus Torvalds, then a student at the University of Helsinki, announced his project on the Usenet newsgroup comp.os.minix. He aimed to create a free and open-source operating system inspired by MINIX but intended for practical use. The first version of the kernel, version 0.01, was released on September 17, 1991.
Over the years:
- By 1994, Linux Kernel version 1.0 was released, marking a significant milestone in its development with improved stability and features.
- In 2001, version 2.4 introduced major changes like support for USB and PC cards, significantly expanding hardware compatibility.
- 2003 saw the release of the 2.6 series, which brought enhancements like the introduction of the Completely Fair Scheduler and better support for multi-core processors.
- The 3.x and 4.x series, starting from 2011, continued the tradition of bi-annual releases, focusing on performance, scalability, and hardware support.
- From version 5.0 onwards, the kernel adopted a simpler version numbering scheme, incrementing the major version number each year.
Architecture
The Linux Kernel is structured into several subsystems:
- Process Management: Handles process scheduling, creation, and termination.
- Memory Management: Manages the system's memory, including virtual memory, paging, and swapping.
- File Systems: Supports numerous file systems, from ext2/3/4 to BTRFS, XFS, and others.
- Device Drivers: Provides a layer of abstraction for hardware interaction, with drivers for various devices.
- Networking: Manages network interfaces, protocols, and packet routing.
- Security: Includes mechanisms like SELinux, capabilities, and AppArmor for enforcing security policies.
Development and Community
The Linux Kernel is developed by a large community of contributors worldwide. The development process is:
- Open Source: All source code is available under the GNU General Public License (GPL).
- Git-based: Development primarily happens through Git, with the main repository hosted on kernel.org.
- Stable and Development Trees: There are stable branches for production use and development branches for new features and testing.
- Mailing Lists: Key discussions and patches are shared through mailing lists like linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org.
External Links
Related Topics