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this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2026
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I know it is an obvious term for you techbros, but kernel means nothing to your average person though. I would doubt most of them would even know what an OS is (especially abbreviated like that).
Explanation for dummies: Linux is a launcher of computer programs.
An OS is basically a broker of hardware resources for applications. And usually ships with some of its own applications. Thatโs a pretty fair explanation?
what is a broker?
Someone who (somehow) has less money than me
brokerย /brลโฒkษr/
noun
So it's like the start menu? (j/k)
Naah!
It's what starts the start menu.
Thanks for the lol of today.
Best explanation of what KERNEL is, it's like car engine and all electronics around it. It's all hidden under the hood, but makes the whole thing run.
Cars have been around for long enough that even non techy people understand at least the crudest basics and this helps them understand computer things when used as analogy.
So linux is the CPU?
As someone who's worked on other people's cars, you're giving people way too much credit for knowing stuff about cars...
I have encountered people that didn't know what engine oil was even for or why it had to be changed out periodically.
They don't need to. But they know what an engine is, don't they? Even if they know nothing else about it? It's the part of the car that goes vroom and makes everything else possible.
I'm reminded of this book I had as a kid. It explained so many things so easily. It explained how an ICE works by using analogous items you'd already know as a kid for every part of the engine. For example, for the fuel injector it showed a perfume spray bottle. It was brilliant, and why it was never required reading in school is a mystery and tragedy.