I do not understand the difference between operating system and kernel. Can someone please explain it?
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operating-system
kernel
Basically the Kernel is the interface between hardware (devices which are available in Computer) and Application software is like MS Office, Visual Studio, etc.
If I answer "what is an OS?" then the answer could be the same. Hence the kernel is the part & core of the OS.
The very sensitive tasks of an OS like memory management, I/O management, process management are taken care of by the kernel only.
So the ultimate difference is:
The kernel is part of the operating system and closer to the hardware it provides low level services like:
An operating system also includes applications like the user interface (shell, gui, tools, and services).
The difference between an operating system and a kernel:
The kernel is a part of an operating system. The operating system is the software package that communicates directly to the hardware and our application. The kernel is the lowest level of the operating system. The kernel is the main part of the operating system and is responsible for translating the command into something that can be understood by the computer. The main functions of the kernel are:
Source: Stackoverflow.com