Messages in this thread | | | Date | Thu, 28 Sep 2000 10:26:01 -0500 (CDT) | From | Jesse Pollard <> | Subject | Re: Socket Interface |
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--------- Received message begins Here --------- Admin Mailing Lists <mlist@intergrafix.net>: > [snip] >> There are dozens of similarly different (or differently similar - as your >> prefer) Linux based O/Ses distributions around the world and some have had >> 6.x versionning when RedHat was also 6.x (SuSe for example). >> > > Is linux in whole though just represented by the kernel? > Or is it represented by the kernel AND a subset of applications?
As a distribution, Linux only includes the Kernel source tarball. This kernel does depend on a number of applications - initialization of networks, raid, system logging, login, make, compilers, etc.
The "subset of applications" are available separately. The nice thing the various vendors (ie RedHat/Caldera/Walnut Creek...) provide is a single integrated Unix environment that is easily installed, with all subsets of applications integrated as a single unit, and compiled for a target environment (I386/PPC/Alpha...).
That is also why kernel upgrades also require the replacement of some subsets of the applications. When the kernel API changes (or kernel-user API) the required support tools must also change. Sometimes this only requires a recompile, other times the code itself must be changed (mount system call is working differently now, so the mount utility must change). This also happens when a new API becomes available (such as capabilities). New utilities become available to make the API effective.
------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jesse I Pollard, II Email: pollard@navo.hpc.mil
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