What is a kernel?

If you have a desktop PC or laptop, right now, it’s possibly running Windows.

Windows is an operating system.

Operating systems conventionally have something at their heart called a kernel. An operating system's kernel is kind of like its heart; it’s the very core of what makes it work.

Microsoft calls Windows’s kernel the NT kernel. This kernel is built and maintained by Microsoft.

The NT kernel, like Windows itself, is proprietary. This just means that we can’t see the code for ourselves; only Microsoft is able to see and govern the code.

Most software needs to be compiled (assembled) before it can be used. NT is no different.

The NT kernel is compiled (built from its original ‘source code’) only by Microsoft. Then, it’s sent to our systems for Windows to use. We never get to see the kernel before it is built.

Windows and NT being proprietary sucks, because:

• only Microsoft can improve or change the code
• we can’t see what’s happening under the hood, so we don’t know what code is being run on our computers
• we can’t modify the software if it does something we don’t like
• a for-profit company being in control means financial decisions are prioritised over our user experiences
  • For example, Microsoft Windows ships with lots and lots of bloatware apps, because Microsoft is paid to promote them. If you’ve ever seen Candy Crush or something similar appear in your Start menu for no apparent reason, that’s why. If you’ve wondered why Windows Copilot AI has suddenly been pinned to your taskbar without consent, it’s because they want money.

<aside> 💡

macOS is also similarly locked-down and proprietary, but at least they seem to have some respect.

The amount of bloatware that comes with Windows these days is sickening. Apple only builds macOS for Macs, though, which arguably also restricts our user choice.

</aside>

NT isn’t the only one

Microsoft’s NT kernel isn’t the only kernel that exists, though.