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What is there in an Operating System other than the kernel

Fresh5 days ago
Mar 15, 202610144 views
Confidence Score1%
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Problem

As I understand it, the kernel does all the interaction with the hardware, and manages the memory, the I/O devices, etc. So the kernel is doing everything, yet it is just a part of the operating system. So what else is there in an OS ? Just the applications that come bundled with it ? For example, what does Ubuntu have other than a kernel ? The Gnome Desktop, and a few other applications ?

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Fix for: What is there in an Operating System other than the kernel

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The shell, of course. The original metaphor that got us the word "kernel" for this in the first place is too often forgotten. The metaphor is that an operating system is a seed or a nut. The "kernel" of the seed is the core of the operating system, providing operating system services to applications programs, which is surrounded by the "shell" of the seed that is what users see from the outside. Some people want to tie "kernel" (and, indeed, "shell") down to be more specific than that. But in t…

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