Kernel

The kernel is the low-level "guts" of any operating system. Ultima Linux uses, as the name might suggest, the open-source Linux kernel.

A more accurate definition (from Wikipedia):

In computer science, the kernel is the central component of most computer operating systems (OS). Its responsibilities include managing the system's resources and the communication between hardware and software components. As a basic component of an operating system, a kernel provides the lowest-level abstraction layer for the resources (especially memory, processors and I/O devices) that applications must control to perform their function. It typically makes these facilities available to application processes through inter-process communication mechanisms and system calls.

Without the kernel, an operating system cannot function at all. The default Ultima Linux kernel is included in the lin26 series in most recent versions, and various alternate versions – built to support less common but still widely used computer hardware – are included on the Ultima Linux installation CD-ROM.

External links

• Linux kernel archives