Chapter 24. Kernel and Module Management

Previously you learned what happens when you start your Linux computer: The BIOS wakes up all the electronics on the motherboard and finds a bootloader. The bootloader checks the hard drive to find a kernel. The kernel does everything else. But what is a kernel?

Stripped to its essentials, the kernel really is the operating system. It is the piece of software that allows humans to interact with otherwise inanimate pieces of plastic, silicon, and other precious metals. The Linux kernel is Linux. Distributions ...

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