Kernel & Signals in Linux

Linux is a powerful and modular operating system where the kernel and signals play significant roles. The kernel is the core part of the system, acting as a mediator between hardware and software. Signals are used to send messages between processes. In this article, we will discuss the kernel and signals in Linux in detail.

The Linux kernel is the central component of the operating system that establishes communication between hardware and software. It manages hardware resources and allows software programs to use them. The main functions of the Linux kernel are:

Signals are a way to send messages between processes in Linux. A signal is a type of software interrupt sent to a process to inform it that a specific event has occurred. Signals are important for process control and communication.

Linux has many types of signals that report different events:

The `kill` command is used to send signals to a process. The `signal()` system call is used by a process to set up a signal handler to process signals.

A signal handler is a function that processes a signal received by a process. When a process receives a signal, the corresponding signal handler is called. There can be a default handler provided by Linux (like terminating the process) or a custom handler defined by the user.