What is the Linux kernel?

The Linux kernel is the core component of the Linux OS that manages hardware resources and provides essential services to all other software. It handles process scheduling, memory management, device drivers, file systems, and networking. The kernel runs in privileged mode (kernel space) and acts as a bridge between user applications and the physical hardware. User programs communicate with the kernel via system calls (e.g., read(), write(), fork()). The kernel is monolithic but supports loadable modules, allowing drivers to be added/removed without rebooting.