Linux is an open source computer operating system kernel. It is a Unix-like operating system written in C language and compliant with POSIX standards.
Linux was first developed by Linus Torvalds of Finland in an attempt to provide a free Unix-like operating system on the Intel x86 architecture. The project started in 1991, with some Minix hackers assisting in the early days of the project, and today countless programmers around the world are helping the project for free. (Recommended learning: linux operation and maintenance)
The operating system is a low-level support software used to deal with hardware and provide a limited service set for user programs.
A computer system is a symbiosis of hardware and software. They are interdependent and inseparable. Computer hardware includes peripherals, processors, memory, hard drives, and other electronic devices that make up the computer's engine. But without software to operate and control it, it cannot work by itself.
The software that completes this control work is called the operating system. In Linux terminology, it is called the "kernel" or "core".
The main modules (or components) of the Linux kernel are divided into the following parts: storage management, CPU and process management, file system, device management and driver, network communication, and system initialization (boot) , system calls, etc.
Network Support
As a production operating system and open source software, Linux is a good platform for testing new protocols and their enhancements. Linux supports a large number of network protocols, including classic TCP/IP, as well as extensions for high-speed networks (greater than 1 Gigabit Ethernet [GbE] and 10 GbE).
Linux can also support protocols such as the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP), which provides many more advanced features than TCP (a successor to the transport layer protocol).
Dynamic kernel
Linux is also a dynamic kernel that supports the dynamic addition or removal of software components. Known as dynamically loadable kernel modules, they can be inserted on demand (currently required by a specific device) at boot time or by the user at any time.
Hysvisor
One of the latest enhancements to Linux is the ability to serve as an operating system for other operating systems (called a hypervisor). This system has a modification of the kernel called a kernel-based virtual machine (KVM).
This modification enables a new interface to user space that allows other operating systems to run on top of the KVM-enabled kernel. In addition to running other instances of Linux, Microsoft® Windows® can also be virtualized. The only restriction is that the underlying processor must support the new virtualization instructions.
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