Skip to main content

Structure

Components​

Kernel​

It is the core of an operating system, and controls everything in the system. The kernel remains in the memory until the system is shut down.

  • It accesses computer resources
  • Allocates uniform access to all the processes
  • Handles memory management
  • Manages devices

Shell​

Shell is an interface between the user and the operating system. It follows instructions based on the commands given by the user. It runs the programs, shell scripts and executes the commands.

There are different shells like the Bourne shell, Bourne again shell and C shell.

The Bash shell shows $ in the prompt:

user@theprogrammingfoundation:~$

The C shell shows % in the prompt:

user@theprogrammingfoundation:~ %
note

There are other shells which look slightly different.

Programs​

Programs are logical sequential commands that are developed for specific tasks.