In this module, we will explore the world of kernel development. At the moment, we will explore the transition from bootloader code to early kernel code. We will still be working with x86 assembly, but (if time permits) we will be looking into C programming as well.

Since bootloaders are supposed to load kernel image files, they need to be able to read from the disk. Some bootloaders insists that a kernel image to be placed in a known fixed sector of a partition/disk. This is done so that the bootloader code does not need to identify and access a filesystem, which requires more 'overhead'.

Another requirement for a bootloader is to know locations in RAM that is available for its usage. A general information on basic memory layout for an x86 PC is available here.

to be continued…