Linux Kernel Architecture

Purpose

Provide a mental map of the Linux kernel: boot sequence, major subsystems, key data structures, and where to look in source — complementing skills/kernel/kernel-internals with architecture-level navigation for driver and subsystem work.

When to Use

• First time exploring linux.git for a feature or bug
• Understanding how boot reaches init and driver probe
• Tracing a syscall or interrupt through subsystems
• Onboarding before skills/kernel-dev/platform-device-model or driver skills

Workflow

1. Boot flow (x86/ARM64 simplified)