what is difference between Software Stack and OS ? why Android is not an OS but software stack?

Question

Android is a software stack but not an OS. as stated by developer.android.com

What is Android? Android is a software stack for mobile devices that incl

Answer 1

The OS is the core kernel of the system, and the software stack is the software sitting on top of the kernel which enhances and expands the functionality of the system.

Windows tends to blur the line a bit, but Linux makes it a bit more visible.

In Linux, the kernel is the OS. The software stack sitting on top of the kernel can include things like:

• The X window system
• The Gnome window manager
• Applications for managing the system
• And so on...

So things like a control panel application to edit system settings aren't part of the operating system. They're part of the software stack on top of the operating system.

You could have a very tiny operating system which doesn't have much of a software stack running on top of it. By itself, it wouldn't provide much usability, but rather a foundation for adding usability.

Android has its Software stack built upon Linux Kernel, which takes care of the power management acts as an interface between other hardware parts of the device. Here's a link which can help you learn more about Android architecture