Monolithic Kernel

  • All core OS services (memory management, process scheduling, file systems, drivers) reside in kernel space.
  • Example: Linux Kernel.
  • Pros: Fast performance, direct access to hardware.
  • Cons: Large codebase, difficult debugging, crashes can affect the whole system.

Microkernel

  • Minimal core kernel, with most services running in user space.
  • Example: QNX, Minix.
  • Pros: Stability, modularity, better security.
  • Cons: Performance overhead due to inter-process communication (IPC).