Test Your English Vocabulary in Use Pre-Intermediate / Intermediate

Because the source code is written in a language that can be read as easily — almost — as English, a nonprogrammer might be able to get an idea of what the application or driver is actually doing (see Chapter 28, "C/C++ Programming Tools for Fedora"). This information might be of use to an intermediate to advanced Linux user when he is confronted by kernel- and driver-related problems. NOTE The interaction and control of hardware is handled by a small piece of the kernel called a device driver. The driver tells the computer how to interact with a modem, a SCSI card, a keyboard, a mouse, and so on in response to a user prompt. Without the device driver, the kernel does not know how to interact with the associated device. Types of Kernels In the early days of Linux, kernels were a single block of code containing all the instructions for the processor, the motherboard, and the other hardware. If you changed hard ware, you were required to recompile the kernel code to include what you needed and discard what you did not ...»