3.6. The Kernel

The Symbian OS kernel consists of a set of executables and data files which runs in the CPU's privileged mode and provides basic system management and control. The kernel handles the creation and scheduling of threads and processes. It also manages communication between threads and processes with objects such as mutexes and semaphores, as well as mediating inter-process data transfers. In addition, the kernel manages all the system memory, and acts as a gateway that provides access to device hardware.

This section covers some of the key highlights of the Symbian OS kernel. If you want to understand the kernel architecture in detail, Symbian OS Internals is an excellent source.