Originally Posted by Cuddles
As for the question on "What's a kernel?" -=- the word comes from the "Unix" days, which is what Linux is based on. The "kernel" is the smallest part of the Operating System, in which, its only purpose is to get a "ground-level" system to boot. After the kernel finishes, it then gets other things "added" to it, modules, that raise the system up from this ground-level. The analogy of that of a "popcorn kernel" that "pops" into a full popcorn ball... The "core" is that of the kernel, which is still there after the kernel has actually "popped" into popcorn, but has "grown" into something much more than the "kernel" was in the beginning.
I probably walked all over the analogies, and the history of Unix, and even Linux, by this, but, I think its a good explaination... ( time, and responses, will tell )