Sign In
Create Account
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe on Youtube
Well as title says.. With Linux can you go more low level and for example accessing a device from the Terminal directly.. instead like windows?
For example with Windows it is like this:
End User -> Operating System -> Hardware
Can Linux be both, like this:
End User -> Operating System -> Hardware
|-> Hardware
6 replies to this topic
Back to top|
|
|
#2
Posted 02 November 2007 - 08:51 AM
WingedPanther
-
- Moderators
-
- 16,831 posts
A spammer's worst nightmare
In linux, every device is represented as a file. When you write to the "file" you are sending instructions to the device. When you read from the "file" you are getting results from it.
#3
Posted 02 November 2007 - 02:14 PM
Lop
-
- Members
-
- 1,172 posts
Speaks fluent binary
Even so, Linux and Unix are still User -> OS -> Hardware. The entire purpose of an OS is to interact with the hardware for the user.
#4
Posted 05 November 2007 - 06:27 AM
GMailGuy
-
- Members
-
- 60 posts
Learning Programmer
@Winged: What would that mean? A Yes or a No?
@Lop:
I know that that is the aim of an OS, but I was just wondering if Linux would let you go that level
@Lop:
I know that that is the aim of an OS, but I was just wondering if Linux would let you go that level
#5
Posted 05 November 2007 - 09:12 AM
WingedPanther
-
- Moderators
-
- 16,831 posts
A spammer's worst nightmare
I think it's a no. You are still interacting with the OS.
#6
Posted 05 November 2007 - 12:54 PM
TcM
-
- Members
-
- 11,147 posts
Writes binary right handed and hex left handed
I am not understanding what you mean, but anyways if you program ASM (of course with a program from the OS) wouldn't that be still User -> OS -> Hardware? So i think that it is actually not possible to go much low level... I think.
#7
Posted 05 November 2007 - 04:23 PM
G_Morgan
-
- Members
-
- 537 posts
Programming God
GMailGuy said:
@Winged: What would that mean? A Yes or a No?
@Lop:
I know that that is the aim of an OS, but I was just wondering if Linux would let you go that level
@Lop:
I know that that is the aim of an OS, but I was just wondering if Linux would let you go that level
You could create your own environment with Linux. You can alter the kernel or any of the userland, you can fiddle with init scripts, you can change the x-server. Practically everything is available to you.
Should you touch this without understanding it? Probably not.
If you are interested then look at the 'Linux From Scratch' project. Get a virtual machine running (VMware is highly recommended) and try completing it from within there. You will touch all the low level components of the OS in this.
There is a difference between using 'Linux' as it is meant in terms of distros and using Linux the kernel and fiddling to create a custom system.
//edit - you still won't be touching devices directly but you are much closer to them than in Windows. You would have to modify the kernel to achieve what you want.//
