lfs-book/appendixa/kernel-desc.xml

<sect2><title>Contents of Linux</title>

<para>Last checked against version &kernel-contversion;.</para>

<sect3><title>Support Files</title>
<para>The linux kernel and the linux kernel headers</para></sect3>

<sect3><title>Descriptions</title>

<sect4><title>linux kernel</title>
<para>The Linux kernel is at the core of every Linux system. It's what makes
Linux tick. When a computer is turned on and boots a Linux system, the
very first piece of Linux software that gets loaded is the kernel. The
kernel initializes the system's hardware components: serial ports, parallel
ports, sound cards, network cards, IDE controllers, SCSI controllers and a
lot more. In a nutshell the kernel makes the hardware available so that the
software can run.</para></sect4>

<sect4><title>linux kernel headers</title>
<para>These are the files we copy to
<filename>/usr/include/{linux,asm}</filename> in Chapter 5. They should
match those which glibc was compiled against and therefore should
<emphasis>not</emphasis> be replaced when upgrading the kernel. They are
essential for compiling many programs.</para></sect4>

</sect3>

</sect2>