this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2024
290 points (98.7% liked)

Linux

7847 readers
1 users here now

Welcome to c/linux!

Welcome to our thriving Linux community! Whether you're a seasoned Linux enthusiast or just starting your journey, we're excited to have you here. Explore, learn, and collaborate with like-minded individuals who share a passion for open-source software and the endless possibilities it offers. Together, let's dive into the world of Linux and embrace the power of freedom, customization, and innovation. Enjoy your stay and feel free to join the vibrant discussions that await you!

Rules:

  1. Stay on topic: Posts and discussions should be related to Linux, open source software, and related technologies.

  2. Be respectful: Treat fellow community members with respect and courtesy.

  3. Quality over quantity: Share informative and thought-provoking content.

  4. No spam or self-promotion: Avoid excessive self-promotion or spamming.

  5. No NSFW adult content

  6. Follow general lemmy guidelines.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I have no idea what kernals, blobs or APIs are, but thanks! 😅

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Oh, okay. Not sure if you want an explanation, but it’s here if you want!

The kernel is kind of the part of the operating system that glues everything together. It provides common interfaces for accessing hardware, provides a library of useful functions to programs, and manages running all of your programs at the same time (like, you know how you can have more programs running than you have CPU cores? The kernel is responsible for scheduling when each program gets to execute instructions on the CPU and stuff).

A binary blob is just what we call it when some piece of software (in this case a driver), is only available in the executable binary format. No source code available, so it’s effectively a black box unless you make a substantial effort to reverse engineer it.

An API is an “application programming interface” which is more or less just a library of functions to do stuff. So if the interface for graphics drivers to talk to the kernel changes or something the old binary version of the driver may not work with newer kernel, and because it’s a binary blob nobody can update it except Nvidia.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago