What is the difference between the kernel space and the user space?

Question

What is the difference between the kernel space and the user space? Do kernel space, kernel threads, kernel processes and kernel stack mean the same thing? Also, why do we n

Answer 1

The Random Access Memory (RAM) can be logically divided into two distinct regions namely - the kernel space and the user space.(The Physical Addresses of the RAM are not actually divided only the Virtual Addresses, all this implemented by the MMU)

The kernel runs in the part of memory entitled to it. This part of memory cannot be accessed directly by the processes of the normal users, while as the kernel can access all parts of the memory. To access some part of the kernel, the user processes have to use the predefined system calls i.e. open, read, write etc. Also, the C library functions like printf call the system call write in turn.

The system calls act as an interface between the user processes and the kernel processes. The access rights are placed on the kernel space in order to stop the users from messing up with the kernel, unknowingly.

So, when a system call occurs, a software interrupt is sent to the kernel. The CPU may hand over the control temporarily to the associated interrupt handler routine. The kernel process which was halted by the interrupt resumes after the interrupt handler routine finishes its job.

Answer 2

The maximum size of address space depends on the length of the address register on the CPU.

On systems with 32-bit address registers, the maximum size of address space is 2³² bytes, or 4 GiB. Similarly, on 64-bit systems, 2⁶⁴ bytes can be addressed.

Such address space is called virtual memory or virtual address space. It is not actually related to physical RAM size.

On Linux platforms, virtual address space is divided into kernel space and user space.

An architecture-specific constant called task size limit, or TASK_SIZE, marks the position where the split occurs:

• the address range from 0 up to TASK_SIZE-1 is allotted to user space;

• the remainder from TASK_SIZE up to 2³²-1 (or 2⁶⁴-1) is allotted to kernel space.

On a particular 32-bit system for example, 3 GiB could be occupied for user space and 1 GiB for kernel space.

Each application/program in a Unix-like operating system is a process; each of those has a unique identifier called Process Identifier (or simply Process ID, i.e. PID). Linux provides two mechanisms for creating a process: 1. the fork() system call, or 2. the exec() call.

A kernel thread is a lightweight process and also a program under execution. A single process may consist of several threads sharing the same data and resources but taking different paths through the program code. Linux provides a clone() system call to generate threads.

Example uses of kernel threads are: data synchronization of RAM, helping the scheduler to distribute processes among CPUs, etc.

Answer 3

In Linux there are two space 1st is user space and another one is kernal space. user space consist of only user application which u want to run. as the kernal service there is process management, file management, signal handling, memory management, thread management, and so many services are present there. if u run the application from the user space that appliction interact with only kernal service. and that service is interact with device driver which is present between hardware and kernal. the main benefit of kernal space and user space seperation is we can acchive a security by the virus.bcaz of all user application present in user space, and service is present in kernal space. thats why linux doesn,t affect from the virus.

Answer 4

The kernel space means a memory space can only be touched by kernel. On 32bit linux it is 1G(from 0xC0000000 to 0xffffffff as virtual memory address).Every process created by kernel is also a kernel thread, So for one process, there are two stacks: one stack in user space for this process and another in kernel space for kernel thread.

the kernel stack occupied 2 pages(8k in 32bit linux), include a task_struct(about 1k) and the real stack(about 7k). The latter is used to store some auto variables or function call params or function address in kernel functions. Here is the code(Processor.h (linux\include\asm-i386)):

#define THREAD_SIZE (2*PAGE_SIZE)
#define alloc_task_struct() ((struct task_struct *) __get_free_pages(GFP_KERNEL,1))
#define free_task_struct(p) free_pages((unsigned long) (p), 1)

__get_free_pages(GFP_KERNEL,1)) means alloc memory as 2^1=2 pages.

But the process stack is another thing, its address is just bellow 0xC0000000(32bit linux), the size of it can be quite bigger, used for the user space function calls.

So here is a question come for system call, it is running in kernel space but was called by process in user space, how does it work? Will linux put its params and function address in kernel stack or process stack? Linux's solution: all system call are triggered by software interruption INT 0x80. Defined in entry.S (linux\arch\i386\kernel), here is some lines for example:

ENTRY(sys_call_table)
.long SYMBOL_NAME(sys_ni_syscall)   /* 0  -  old "setup()" system call*/
.long SYMBOL_NAME(sys_exit)
.long SYMBOL_NAME(sys_fork)
.long SYMBOL_NAME(sys_read)
.long SYMBOL_NAME(sys_write)
.long SYMBOL_NAME(sys_open)     /* 5 */
.long SYMBOL_NAME(sys_close)

Answer 5

Trying to give a very simplified explanation

Virtual Memory is divided into kernel space and the user space. Kernel space is that area of virtual memory where kernel processes will run and user space is that area of virtual memory where user processes will be running.

This division is required for memory access protections.

Whenever a bootloader starts a kernel after loading it to a location in RAM, (on an ARM based controller typically)it needs to make sure that the controller is in supervisor mode with FIQ's and IRQ's disabled.

Answer 6

IN short kernel space is the portion of memory where linux kernel runs (top 1 GB virtual space in case of linux) and user space is the portion of memory where user application runs( bottom 3 GB of virtual memory in case of Linux. If you wanna know more the see the link given below :)

http://learnlinuxconcepts.blogspot.in/2014/02/kernel-space-and-user-space.html