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Kernel Extensions

Mac OS X provides a kernel extension mechanism as a means of allowing dynamic loading of pieces of code into kernel space, without the need to recompile. These pieces of code are known generically as plug-ins or, in the Mac OS X kernel environment, as kernel extensions or KEXTs.

Because KEXTs provide both modularity and dynamic loadability, they are a natural choice for any relatively self-contained service that requires access to interfaces that are not exported to user space. Many of the components of the kernel environment support this extension mechanism, though they do so in different ways.

For example, some of the new networking features involve the use of network kernel extensions (NKEs). These are discussed in the chapter “Network Architecture”.

The ability to dynamically add a new file-system implementation is based on VFS KEXTs. Device drivers and device families in the I/O Kit are implemented using KEXTs. KEXTs make development much easier for developers writing drivers or those writing code to support a new volume format or networking protocol. KEXTs are discussed in more detail in the chapter “Kernel Extension Overview”.

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