A Comprehensive Analysis of the

Linux Kernel
Introduction
As the fundamental component that powers the Linux operating system, the Linux
kernel has been the subject of extensive research and analysis for decades, reflecting
its critical importance in the modern computing landscape. This report provides a
comprehensive overview of the Linux kernel, delving into its architecture,
development, and the key research areas that make up the Linux Kernel.

Key Findings
● Linux Kernel: The Linux kernel is the core component of the Linux operating
system, responsible for managing system resources, handling hardware
interactions, and providing a stable platform for applications to run on (Cheng &
Lin, 2008) (Avelino et al., 2017) (Corsi et al., 2014).The Kernel is the core
component of an operating system, it provides a platform for various services
and programs and it is responsible for efficiently allocating hardware resources
between programs. (Linux Kernel , n.d)

Figure 1.0 Relationship between applications, the kernel, and hardware

The kernel Source Tree
The Linux kernel source code is organized into a hierarchical directory structure, with
the top-level directory containing high-level kernel components and subdirectories for
specific subsystems and device drivers.

Table 2.1 Directories in the Root of the Kernel Source Tree

Components of the Linux kernel
○ The Process Scheduler: The process scheduler is responsible for
deciding which processes should be running at any given time and for
how long, ensuring fair and efficient use of system resources.

○ Some of the components of the llinux Schedluer process include:

■ Runqueue: when a process is not necessarily using the CPU, but
when the Linux scheduler is deciding which process to run next, it
picks from the list of runnable processes.
When these processes are runnable but waiting to use the
processor, they form a line called the run queue.
 ■ Scheduler Classes: THe idea of scheduling classes is defining
how tasks should be organized and choosing hwhich tasks
should you be executed

○ The Memory Management Unit (MMU): The memory management

unit is a critical component of the Linux kernel that is responsible for
managing the system’s memory and cashing operations associated with
the processor. The Memory management unit handles three major
operations:
● Hardware memorey management
● OS Memory management
● Application memory management
● Kernel memory management
 ● The Virtual File System (VFS): The Virtual File System (also known as the
Virtual Filesystem Switch) is the software layer in the kernel that provides the
filesystem interface to userspace programs. It also provides an abstraction
within the kernel which allows different filesystem implementations to coexist.

Code implementation of files system

struct file_system_type { const char* name; int fs_flags; int (*init_fs_context)(struct fs_context*);
const struct fs_parameter_spec* parameters; struct dentry* (*mount)(struct file_system_type*, int,
const char*, void*); void (*kill_sb)(struct super_block*); struct module* owner; struct
file_system_type* next; struct hlist_head fs_supers;};
 ● The Networking Unit: The Linux kernel's networking subsystem is
responsible for handling network protocols, managing network interfaces, and
providing a consistent API for network applications.

● Inter-Process Communication Unit: The IPC unit in the Linux kernel

facilitates communication between processes, allowing them to exchange data,
synchronize their execution, and coordinate their activities (Silberschatz et al.,
1983).

Additional notes
The Linux kernel has several unique attributes as compared to a normal user-space
application. As such it has some differnces from a normal applcation which includes:

● The kernel has access to neither the C library nor the standard C headers.
● The kernel is coded in GNU C.
● The kernel lacks the memory protection afforded to user-space
● The kernel has a small per-process fixed-size stack
● The kernel cannot easily execute floating-point operations.
As such when developing, working and hacking the linux kernel, we must take note of
these things
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