What is the difference between the AIX and Kernel?

[drbk563]

Hi,

I am bit confused on the terminology and the design of AIX. What is the difference between AIX and the kernel? Are they both the same entity or are they both looked upon as two OS? Such as the kernel not being a full-blown version of UNIX.

Thank you,

Victor

 

[rclarke250]

Depends on the version, the Original AIX up to 4.3.x was based upon unix system V. Starting with 5.1L AIX was built from a Linux Kernel. The Kernel is the OS the distribution is the packaged applications,drivers and what not that come with the OS.

 

[sjm2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernel_(computing)

Most operating systems consist of a significant amount of code, some of which is resident and in control of the hardware which it is operating. That portion of the OS that is resident and in control is usually referred to as a kernel in UNIX-like operating systems. In other operating systems it may have a different name - in z/OS (aka MVS) it is called a nucleus.

AIX has one or more kernels. The active one is loaded from /usr/lib/boot/unix, which is a link.

 

[exsnafu]

pretty sure AIX is not or ever has been based on the linux kernel.

i'm sure over the years there have been ideas picked up by one or the other for use in their own design but thats about it.

sjm2 describes it pretty well, the kernel is a component of AIX, its just the middleman between the software stack and the hardware on any *nix OS.