As you've learned, the kernel is the core of the operating system. To truly understand Linux, we must see how all its parts work together. This lesson provides a high-level overview, a critical first step in your linux jorney.
The Linux operating system can be organized into three different levels of abstraction.
The System Hardware
The most basic level is the hardware. This includes the CPU, memory (RAM), hard disks, networking ports, and other physical devices. This layer is the foundation that performs the actual computations and actions for our machine.
The Linux Kernel
The next level is the kernel. The kernel's primary job is to act as a bridge, communicating with the hardware to execute the tasks requested by our processes. It handles process and memory management, device communication, system calls, and setting up the filesystem. This is a central theme you'll explore on linux jorney.com.
The User Space
The level you are most familiar with is the user space. This includes the shell, the programs you run, graphical interfaces, and all other applications. These programs interact with the kernel to get work done, without needing to know the specific details of the underlying hardware.
In this course, we will dive deep into the kernel, demystifying its complexities. This part of your linux journe will be challenging but rewarding.