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In modern operating systems, programs are isolated from other programs and from the hardware; if they want to interact, they must do so through a piece of code called the kernel. This means that, if one program goes haywire, it can't bring the whole system down. Drivers are pretty much just the parts of the kernel that directly touch the hardware.

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Why must a computer start in kernel mode when power is switched on?

Because a kernel is the main component of most computer operating system,it is bridge between application and the actual data processing done at hardware level .The kernel responsibility include managing the system resources. sanjjit------thank you


Which program facilitates communication between device and OS?

Usually a device driver facilitates communication between a device and the OS. Device drivers are written in low-level languages such as Assembly or C.


What are the key differences between a monolithic kernel and a microkernel in terms of their architecture and performance?

A monolithic kernel has all operating system services running in the same address space, while a microkernel keeps only essential services in the kernel space and runs other services in user space. This makes microkernels more modular and easier to maintain, but can lead to slightly lower performance due to increased communication overhead between components.


How do you use your controller on the computer?

If you run Windows and your controller is a Xbox 360 controller with a USB interface (either official Microsoft ones or compatible third-party ones), it should work right out of the box unless if your game does not support gamepads. For PS3 controllers, you can use JoyinMotion to install the Sixaxis drivers for your version of Windows and to manage the controller. Once that's done, Windows will see your PS3 controller as a working game controller. If you have a Bluetooth interface available on your computer, you can also enable that feature too as well.However, if you run Linux, the process is generally easier unless if the kernel that comes with your distribution does not have the kernel drivers you need for your specific controller. Otherwise, it will work. You will need to have at the very least the command-line utility called xboxdrv. Despite the name, this utility will work with PS3 controllers as well. If you plan on using it wirelessly using Bluetooth, you will need a Bluetooth interface on your computer, and the appropriate Bluetooth extensions for your distribution (typically something like BlueZ). Then you also need to pair your controller while your controller is still connected via USB so that your computer will be able to communicate with the controller on Bluetooth.Once that's done, you can open up a Terminal session and run xboxdrv. In certain case scenarios the kernel driver may interfere with the OS enumerating the controller in /dev/. To avoid that, add the --detach-kernel-driver option when running it. This option will detach the built-in kernel driver and enable raw input.In certain games they don't support raw input (e.g. some games that support Xbox 360-style controllers like Risk of Rain), you can enable the --mimic-xpad option.You can also run xboxdrv in daemon mode (almost equivalent to "running as a service" in Windows).


What is 16 bit protected mode?

16-bit protected mode is still used for running legacy applications, eg. DPM compatible DOS extender programs (through virtual DOS machines) or Windows 3.x applications (through the Windows on Windows subsystem) and certain classes of device drivers in OS/2 2.0 and later, all under control of a 32-bit kernel.

Related Questions

What kind of rights are required to install the kernel-mode driver?

Administrative privileges


What kind of right are required to install the kernel- mode driver?

Administrative privileges


What kind of rights are required to install kernel mode driver?

Administrative privileges


Why does the utilities installation program install a driver running in kernel mode?

HWiNFO32 requires a kernel driver (shipped in the package) to be installed in order to access hardware. If you run HWiNFO32 for the first time, the program installs this driver automatically.


Why does HWiNFO32 program install a driver in kernel mode?

so the chipset doesn't fry


How do you install an audio driver in Ubuntu 9.04?

ALSA drivers are built into the kernel. Virtually every that can be used in Linux already has a driver in the kernel. The fact that you are even looking indicates that your sound card is very likely unsupported.


In what directory should you write device driver programs in OpenSUSE Linux?

You can write them in whatever directory you want. You need to compile them with your kernel, however.


How do you install kernel header files?

OS/distribution dependent, for debian: apt-get install linux-kernel-headersOr you can download the whole kernel-source, which contains the headers as well.


What kinds of f Kernal programs are there?

A Kernel is classified into two main types: Monolithic Kernel Micro Kernel


Difference between kernel mode and user mode?

Kernel ModeIn Kernel mode, the executing code has complete and unrestricted access to the underlying hardware. It can execute any CPU instruction and reference any memory address. Kernel mode is generally reserved for the lowest-level, most trusted functions of the operating system. Crashes in kernel mode are catastrophic; they will halt the entire PC.User ModeIn User mode, the executing code has no ability to directly access hardware or reference memory. Code running in user mode must delegate to system APIs to access hardware or memory. Due to the protection afforded by this sort of isolation, crashes in user mode are always recoverable. Most of the code running on your computer will execute in user mode.


What do you call the programs that sorround the kernel of the operating system?

Shell Programs


What are benefits of adopting kernel modules in the modern Linux kernel?

Efficiency. Thanks to modules, the kernel doesn't have to have every last driver loaded and running, nor does the user have to recompile the kernel every time they need to load or unload or update a driver. Before the Linux kernel adopted modules, one had to recompile and reconfigure the kernel any time they wanted to change drivers. Today it's as simple as unloading and reloading modules. Some people, however, like to disable modules and build everything into their kernel when they create a custom Linux kernel. This is done largely because when someone makes a custom kernel there is no question what drivers and pieces of the kernel will be needed, and modules would be unneeded.