Linux Kernel Overview
What is the Linux Kernel?
The Linux kernel is the core software that acts as an interface between the hardware and various software applications running on your system.
uname
uname command can be used to view kernel and system information.
uname -flag| Flag | Function |
| -r | View current kernel version |
| -i | View current hardware platform |
| -a | Print all information |
After installing a new kernel version, a server reboot is required.
Where is the Linux Kernel stored?
Typically, the kernel file itself (located within /boot) is prefaced with 'vmlinuz', for example:
vmlinuz-5.15.0-106-generic
Note; is the kernel is prefaced with vmlinuz - this means that the kernel is compressed and must be uncompressed on boot. If the kernel file is prefaced with vmlinux - then it isn't compressed.
Working on Linux systems, you may see systems with various kernels installed.
To check which kernel is currently being treated as the primary one (which will be loaded on boot), you can check the symlinks (in /boot), as below:
vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-5.15.0-107-generic
vmlinuz.old -> vmlinuz-5.15.0-106-generic
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