Simple question - complicated answers

[Bart Silverstrim]

alex wrote:
>>> I think this is an analagous situation. I suspect that the OP does not
>>> actually know what he is asking. 
> 
>>> Perhaps he thinks the kernel is a
>>> particular program that he can watch running on his screen or that he
>>> can in some way send commands to and watch it work, like a word
>>> processor.
>  I was careful to say that_ all I wanted to do was "see" the kernel._ I 
> said that several times because I thought the kernel was some kind of  a 
> document that was readable and editable.  as '/boot/grub/menu.lst'  is. 
>    I hope that this isn't interpreted as my saying that I think that the 
> kernel and menu.lst are identical.

Why is this such a hard concept for the OP to understand.  It's like 
"seeing" your brain.

You want to see an actual physical brain, gray from lack of blood?

Do you want a diagram that labels each of the portions?

MRI?

Maybe and EEG..."see" the brain via electrical impulses?

Maybe you want to see a block diagram of how various senses are processed?

You can SEE the BRAIN in five hundred different ways.  That question is 
simply too VAGUE to answer!  When you say specifically what you intend 
to do with the information, we can actually recommend a resource that 
will tell you what will help you!  This is what all the debate was about 
and what we've been trying to tell you!

>>> If so, no answer we can give will satisfy him,'I disagree'which is why
>>> he says he's been getting the runaround. So, he needs to learn what a
>>> kernel /is/ before he can "see" one.
>>>     
> All I needed was someone to say that the kernel is NOT a 
> readable/editable document.

Maybe that's what you needed, but it wasn't in the question.

BTW...in case you missed it, it IS editable.  The source code is plain 
text.  You just can't edit the compiled binary, any more than you can 
screw with a cake that's already baked.  Screw with the ingredients, 
fine.  Bake it, you're done.

And if you're still making references like that, you still probably 
didn't look up what a kernel is in an operating system, did you?  The 
piece of very helpful advice that many many people told you you would 
need to do?...

What exactly were you attempting to do?  You just wanted to stare at a 
printout of the kernel?  Did you want to program the source?  Alter a 
setting?  Tinker?  WHAT?  You never even answered our reply questions to 
try to help you!