Linux, in its nature, is not an operating system; it’s a Kernel. The Kernel is part of the operating system – And the most crucial. For it to be an OS, it is supplied with GNU software and other additions giving us the name GNU/Linux.

What type of kernel is Linux?

Linux is a monolithic kernel while OS X (XNU) and Windows 7 use hybrid kernels.

Is Unix a kernel or OS?

Unix is a monolithic kernel because it all the functionality is compiled into one big chunk of code, including substantial implementations for networking, file systems, and devices.