What is firmware? and what is kernel?

[W_Heisenberg]

For a computer, I think they should have these things maybe on mother board. But how does these things work?

Anyone points this out for me?

 

[sadiqawos]

Kernel is a part of an operating system that acts as an intermediary between applications and the hardware of the computer. e.g CPU and memory.

 

[enjunear]

Firmware is software that typically exists on a microchip device. Your PC's BIOS is one example. The simple (Basic Input Output System, BIOS) program that runs every time you turn on your PC scans/communicates with your CPU, RAM, video card, hard drives, floppy drives, USB controller, etc. Since the program is stored (and run) on a chip, it's called "firm"ware, whereas "soft"ware is loaded from a flexible source (a hard drive) and typically run on a general purpose processor (your computer's CPU).
Firmware - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A kernel is a (mid-level) piece of software that interfaces between applications and the PC's hardware. It's not as low-level as firmware (which often runs ON the hardware, itself); nor is it a high-level program like a user program (word processor, spreadsheet app, browser, etc). Unlike firmware, the kernel is software, as it gets loaded into memory when a PC boots from the hard drive (it's one of the first things to get loaded and executed).
Kernel (computing) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[W_Heisenberg]

Kernel is a part of an operating system that acts as an intermediary between applications and the hardware of the computer. e.g CPU and memory.

kernel is defined as the link between application and hardware components,

but is kernel circuit? or soft-codes?

---------- Post added at 19:33 ---------- Previous post was at 19:32 ----------

Firmware is software that typically exists on a microchip device. Your PC's BIOS is one example. The simple (Basic Input Output System, BIOS) program that runs every time you turn on your PC scans/communicates with your CPU, RAM, video card, hard drives, floppy drives, USB controller, etc. Since the program is stored (and run) on a chip, it's called "firm"ware, whereas "soft"ware is loaded from a flexible source (a hard drive) and typically run on a general purpose processor (your computer's CPU).
Firmware - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A kernel is a (mid-level) piece of software that interfaces between applications and the PC's hardware. It's not as low-level as firmware (which often runs ON the hardware, itself); nor is it a high-level program like a user program (word processor, spreadsheet app, browser, etc). Unlike firmware, the kernel is software, as it gets loaded into memory when a PC boots from the hard drive (it's one of the first things to get loaded and executed).


Kernel (computing) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

we can update firmware, yet can we update kernel as well?

 

[p.luc]

The difference between software and firmware is blurry, as a kernel (software) can be part of a firmware.
Wikipedia says that "...There are no strict boundaries between firmware and software, as both are quite loose descriptive terms..."

Kernel has to be thinked as the core; the main module that allows higher level software to run.

 

[enjunear]

kernel is defined as the link between application and hardware components,

but is kernel circuit? or soft-codes?

In PC lingo, the kernel is software, but it runs and interacts with the hardware at a very "low" level. The kernel is stored on your hard drive, and is loaded into memory when your PC boots from the drive.

• BIOS runs it's processes (detect CPU, count RAM, scan for hard drives, scan for CD-ROMS, etc).
• BIOS reads from HDD boot sector and finds the target (starting) address on a bootable partition.
• BIOS starts reading from the hard drive at the address specified in the boot sector.
• The program/commands that reside at that starting address are the first instructions that the CPU begins to process. Those initial commands load more and more stuff, eventually culminating in your operating system being loaded into memory and listening for user inputs.

we can update firmware, yet can we update kernel as well?

Have you heard of linux? People recompile the OS kernel quite frequently to include particular options that they deem useful. Google "recompile kernel" and you'll see LOTS of sites regrading this topic.

 

[W_Heisenberg]

The difference between software and firmware is blurry, as a kernel (software) can be part of a firmware.
Wikipedia says that "...There are no strict boundaries between firmware and software, as both are quite loose descriptive terms..."

Kernel has to be thinked as the core; the main module that allows higher level software to run.

I do agree with you.

 

[Emergency Lights]

Hello,
Firmware is basically a combination of Hardware and software or we can say Firm ware is a software embedded in a piece of Hardware. examples are:
1.ROM
2.PROM
3.NIC

Kernel is related to Operating system.It is the main part of operating system.Kernel is a Bridge or Layer b/w applications and actual data processing.

 

[khushboo652]

Kernal-
The kernel is a program that constitutes the central core of a computer operating system. It has complete control over everything that occurs in the system.The kernel is the first part of the operating system to load into memory during booting (i.e., system startup), and it remains there for the entire duration of the computer session because its services are required continuously.

Firmware-
Firmware is a combination of software and hardware. Computer chips that have data or programs recorded on them are firmware. These chips commonly include the following:

* ROMs (read-only memory)
* PROMs (programmable read-only memory)
* EPROMs (erasable programmable read-only memory)

 

[andyszabler]

Firmware is a combination of software and hardware. The computer chips that have programmed recorded of them firmware. The kernel is a one type of operating system. Some kernels have been developed independently used by operating system. The Linux kernel is a Linux operating system.

 

[tonyzabler]

Firmware is software embedded in a piece of hardware. I can think firmware simply as "software for hardware". Firmware is programing written to the read only memory device. The kernel is also called by an operating system and kernel is used by the Linux system. An operating system kernel is Pisces of software that is responsible for services resource request for the application and management resources its called the kernel.

 

[marks_christopher]

Firmware is the combination of read-only memory and program code and data stored in it while kernel is the main component of most computer operating systems; it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. Check these in-depth explanations for both firmware and kernel respectively https://www.techyv.com/questions/firmware-vs-software-what-are-their-differences, https://www.techyv.com/questions/what-kernel-memory-mb