Meaning – The term kernel, refers to the part of an operating system that performs basic functions such as allocating hardware resources.
It functions at a basic level, communicating with hardware and managing resources, such as RAM and the CPU.
Since a kernel handles many fundamental processes, it must be loaded at the beginning of the boot sequence when a computer starts up.
It also checks for any connected peripherals. As the OS loads and the graphical user interface appears, the kernel keeps running. Even after the OS has fully loaded, the kernel continues to run in the background, managing system resources.
Example of usage – “Several types of kernels exist, but two popular ones include monolithic kernels and microkernels. A monolithic kernel is a single codebase, or block of source code, that provides all the necessary services offered by the operating system.”
