Linux kernel

Also known as Linux, linux

Unix-like operating system kernel, basis for all Linux operating systems

AI overview

The Linux kernel is the core component that manages a computer's hardware and allows software programs to run on Linux operating systems. It matters because it's the foundation that powers countless devices worldwide, from smartphones and personal computers to servers and supercomputers.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Official website: kernel.org
Image: Linux 5.13.5 boot message screenshot.png

Show 13 more facts

issue tracker URL: bugzilla.kernel.org
source code repository URL: github.com/torvalds/linux
software version identifier: 7.1-rc1
Commons category: Linux kernel
inception: 1991-08-25
web feed URL: planet.kernel.org/opml.xml
Commons gallery: Linux kernel
Stack Exchange tag: stackoverflow.com/tags/linux-kernel
publication date: 1991-09-17
announcement date: 1991-08-25
official blog URL: planet.kernel.org
native label: Linux kernel
public key fingerprint: 647F 2865 4894 E3BD 4571 99BE 38DB BDC8 6092 693E

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Article

The Linux kernel is a free and open-source Unix-like kernel that is used in many computer systems worldwide. The kernel was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and was soon adopted as the kernel for the GNU operating system (OS), which was created to be a free replacement for Unix. Since the late 1990s, it has been included in many operating system distributions, many of which are called Linux. One such Linux kernel operating system is Android, which is used in many mobile and embedded devices.

Most of the kernel code is written in C as supported by the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), which has extensions beyond standard C. The code also contains assembly code for architecture-specific logic such as optimizing memory use and task execution. The kernel has a modular design such that modules can be integrated as software components – including dynamically loaded. The kernel is monolithic in an architectural sense since the entire OS kernel runs in kernel space.