Editing Vmlinux (section)

==Location==
Traditionally, the kernel was located in the [[root directory]] of the filesystem hierarchy; however, as the bootloader must use [[BIOS]] drivers to access the [[hard disk]], limitations on some [[i386]] systems meant only the [[cylinder 1024|first 1024 cylinders]] of the [[hard disk]] were addressable.

To overcome this, Linux distributors encouraged users to create a [[disk partitioning|partition]] at the beginning of their drives specifically for storing [[bootloader]] and kernel-related files. [[GRUB]], [[LILO (boot loader)|LILO]] and [[SYSLINUX]] are common [[bootloader]]s.

By convention, this partition is [[mount (computing)|mount]]ed on the filesystem hierarchy as <code>/boot</code>. This was later standardised by the [[Filesystem Hierarchy Standard]] (FHS), which now requires the Linux kernel image to be located in either <code>/</code> or <code>/boot</code>, although there is no technical restriction enforcing this.<ref>{{cite book
 | chapter    = Section 3.5.2 — /boot : Static files of the boot loader
 | title      = FHS 2.3
 | date       = 2004-01-29
 | access-date = 2014-03-11
 | url        = http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.3.html#BOOTSTATICFILESOFTHEBOOTLOADER
 | quote      = The operating system kernel must be located in either / or /boot.}}</ref>