A key part of kernel operation is communication with hardware devices inside and outside of the physical computer. However, it isn't practical for an OS to interact with every possible device in existence. Instead, kernels rely on the ability of device drivers, which add kernel support to spe...
What is kernel-level programming in an OS? Kernel-level programming involves writing software that interacts directly with the operating system's core functions (the kernel). This type of programming requires specialized knowledge and can be used to create device drivers, security software, and other...
The kernel is termed as the heart of any operating system as it controls all other programs in a system. When a device starts, the kernel goes through a process called the initialization function, such as checking memory. It takes care of the memory allocation part and creates an environment...
While they all have the Linux kernel in common, various Linux distributions build their own operating systems on top of the basic open-source foundation. Linux distributions, referred to as “distros,” boast a range of backgrounds and features. Ubuntu is the world’s most popular free OS and...
Programming system calls for interruptible sleep is significantly harder than for uninterruptible sleep. Writing code that handles interruptible sleep requires extensive code both in kernel mode (constantly checking for any wake-up call, and if so, handle it, clean the memory and return) and in ...
Note that the system call is always the same (read()), but inside the kernel, the right method is called each time! You should imagine that this mechanism works like an object programming language: read() is a method that operates in a different manner according to the object (device) ...
A kernel-based virtual machine (KVM) is an example of a type 1 hypervisor. Type 2 hypervisors Type 2 hypervisors run as applications within a host OS and usually target single-user desktop or notebook platforms. With a type 2 hypervisor, you manually create a VM and install a guest OS ...
In computer science, a thread typically refers to a sequence of software codethe computer and its CPU must execute. In programming, a thread is the smallest series of related instructions involved in a process, which can involve many threads. For example, a thread may involve a small subroutin...
OpenStack is an open-source cloud platform that manages distributed compute, network and storage resources, aggregates them into pools, and allows on-demand provisioning of virtual resources through a self-service portal.
For example, its vulnerability exploit targeted the system kernel level, in order to remain stealthy and avoid detection by the antivirus software. It also carefully monitored its usage of processor resources on infected computers and launched itself only if doing so would not slow down the ...