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[[!meta copyright="Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010 Free Software Foundation,
Inc."]]

[[!meta license="""[[!toggle id="license" text="GFDL 1.2+"]][[!toggleable
id="license" text="Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
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[[Mach]] is a first-generation [[microkernel]].

Mach's basic abstractions include [[virtual_address_space]]s in the form of
[[task]]s, execution contexts in the form of [[thread]]s, [[IPC]],
[[capabilities|capability]] in the form of [[port]]s, and [[memory_object]]s,
which enable Mach's [[external_pager_mechanism]].

Controlling [[task]]s, their [[virtual_address_space]], [[thread]]s, and other
system objects in Mach is implemented by using [[port]]s, as opposed to other
[[kernel]]s' [[system_call]] interface: almost all of the Mach API is
implemented by sending [[message]]s to [[port]]s.  Device drivers that reside
in kernel space are controlled by ports, too.

Mach's [[API]] is well-[[documented|documentation]].

[[!toggleable id=mach_kernel_principles text="""[[!template id=note
text="*[[mach\_kernel\_principles|documentation]]*:
{{$mach#kernel_principles}}"]]"""]]

In particular the [[!toggle id=mach_kernel_principles
text="[mach\_kernel\_principles]"]] book further elaborates on Mach's concepts
and principles.


# IRC, freenode, #hurd, 2013-08-26

    < stargater> then is mach not more microkernel 
    < stargater> when it have driver inside 
    < braunr> mach is a hybrid
    < braunr> even without drivers
    < stargater> in www i read mach is microkernel 
    < stargater> not hybrid 
    < braunr> the word microkernel usually includes hybrids
    < braunr> true microkernels are also called nanokernels
    < braunr> the word isn't that important, what matters is that mach does
      more in kernel than what the microkernel principle implies
    < braunr> e.g. high level async IPC and high level virtual memory
      operations
    < braunr> including physical memory management