KEMBAR78
Kernel Parameters | PDF
Scribd
Upload
12 views2 pages

Kernel Parameters

Kernel parameters are settings that influence the Linux kernel's behavior, affecting performance, compatibility, debugging, and security. They can be configured at boot time, dynamically using sysctl, or through the /proc filesystem. Common parameters include those for performance management, security features like ASLR, and networking settings.

Uploaded by

Dinesh Sutihar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
12 views2 pages

Kernel Parameters

Kernel parameters are settings that influence the Linux kernel's behavior, affecting performance, compatibility, debugging, and security. They can be configured at boot time, dynamically using sysctl, or through the /proc filesystem. Common parameters include those for performance management, security features like ASLR, and networking settings.

Uploaded by

Dinesh Sutihar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Kernel parameters are configuration settings that control the behavior of the Linux kernel.

These
parameters can be used to modify system performance, hardware compatibility, debugging, security, and
other kernel functionalities.

Ways to Set Kernel Parameters

Kernel parameters can be set in multiple ways:

1. At Boot Time (GRUB or LInux LOader (LILO))


o Modify the bootloader configuration e.g., GRand Unified Bootloader (GRUB) to set
parameters.
o Example (for GRUB2):

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Modify the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="quiet splash parameter=value"

(This line imports any entries to the end of the 'linux' line)

Then update GRUB:

sudo update-grub

2. Using Sysctl (Runtime Kernel Parameters)


o Modify parameters dynamically using sysctl.
o Example:

sudo sysctl -w kernel.parameter=value

(This command is used to modify kernel parameters at runtime. It allows


you to change system settings without rebooting.)

o To make it persistent:

sudo nano /etc/sysctl.conf

Add:

kernel.parameter=value

Apply changes:

sudo sysctl -p

3. Using /proc Filesystem


o Directly modify kernel parameters through /proc.
o Example:

echo value | sudo tee /proc/sys/kernel/parameter

Common Kernel Parameters

 Performance & Memory Management


o vm.swappiness → Controls swap usage (0-100).
o vm.dirty_ratio → Maximum percentage of dirty pages before writing to disk.
 Security
o kernel.randomize_va_space → Controls Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR).

(ASLR is a security feature that randomizes memory addresses to make it harder for
attackers to exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities.)

o fs.protected_hardlinks → Prevents hardlink creation (another reference to the same


data) by unauthorized users.
 Networking
o net.ipv4.ip_forward → Enables/disables packet forwarding.
o net.core.somaxconn → Maximum number of connections in the listen queue.

You might also like