Linux

aid: linux
name: Linux
description: Linux is an open-source Unix-like operating system kernel originally created by Linus Torvalds. This index catalogs
  the userspace and kernel programming interfaces exposed by Linux, including system calls, eBPF, ioctl, netlink, procfs,
  sysfs, GPIO, and security interfaces such as Seccomp, Landlock, and Linux Security Modules. It also covers ecosystem APIs
  for systemd and PAM.
type: Index
position: Consumer
access: 3rd-Party
image: https://kinlane-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
tags:
- Kernel
- Linux
- Open Source
- Operating System
- Unix
- Userspace API
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/linux/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
created: '2024-01-15'
modified: '2026-04-28'
specificationVersion: '0.19'
apis:
- aid: linux:linux-kernel-userspace-api
  name: Linux Kernel Userspace API
  description: The set of stable userspace-facing interfaces exposed by the Linux kernel, including system calls, ioctls,
    eBPF, futex2, and the netlink protocol.
  humanURL: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/userspace-api/index.html
  tags:
  - Kernel
  - Userspace
  - System Calls
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/userspace-api/index.html
  - type: Reference
    url: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/syscalls.2.html
- aid: linux:ebpf-userspace-api
  name: eBPF Userspace API
  description: Extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) userspace API for loading and interacting with sandboxed programs running
    in the kernel.
  humanURL: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/userspace-api/ebpf/index.html
  tags:
  - eBPF
  - Kernel
  - Observability
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/userspace-api/ebpf/index.html
- aid: linux:netlink-api
  name: Netlink API
  description: Socket-based interface for communication between the kernel and userspace, used widely for networking, routing,
    and device configuration.
  humanURL: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/netlink.7.html
  tags:
  - Networking
  - IPC
  - Kernel
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/userspace-api/netlink/index.html
- aid: linux:seccomp-bpf
  name: Seccomp BPF
  description: SECure COMPuting mode with BPF filters, used to restrict which system calls a process can make for sandboxing
    and hardening.
  humanURL: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/userspace-api/seccomp_filter.html
  tags:
  - Security
  - Sandboxing
  - Syscalls
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/userspace-api/seccomp_filter.html
- aid: linux:landlock
  name: Landlock
  description: Unprivileged access-control framework allowing processes to restrict themselves and their descendants from
    filesystem and network operations.
  humanURL: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/userspace-api/landlock.html
  tags:
  - Security
  - Access Control
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/userspace-api/landlock.html
- aid: linux:procfs
  name: procfs
  description: Virtual filesystem mounted at /proc that exposes process and kernel information through a file-based interface.
  humanURL: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/proc.5.html
  tags:
  - Filesystem
  - Process
  - Monitoring
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/filesystems/proc.html
- aid: linux:sysfs
  name: sysfs
  description: Virtual filesystem mounted at /sys that exports kernel object and device information to userspace.
  humanURL: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/sysfs.5.html
  tags:
  - Filesystem
  - Devices
  - Kernel
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/filesystems/sysfs.html
- aid: linux:systemd-dbus
  name: systemd D-Bus API
  description: The system and service manager API exposed by systemd over D-Bus for managing units, services, and the boot
    process.
  humanURL: https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/dbus/
  tags:
  - systemd
  - D-Bus
  - Service Management
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/
  - type: Reference
    url: https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/dbus/
- aid: linux:linux-pam
  name: Linux PAM
  description: Pluggable Authentication Modules providing flexible, configurable authentication mechanisms for Linux applications.
  humanURL: http://www.linux-pam.org/
  tags:
  - Authentication
  - Security
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: http://www.linux-pam.org/Linux-PAM-html/
- aid: linux:udev
  name: udev
  description: Device manager for the Linux kernel handling device nodes and hotplug events under /dev.
  humanURL: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/udev.html
  tags:
  - Devices
  - Hardware
  - Hotplug
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/udev.html
common:
- type: Website
  name: Kernel.org
  description: Home of the Linux kernel project.
  url: https://www.kernel.org/
- type: Documentation
  name: Linux Kernel Documentation
  description: Official kernel documentation tree.
  url: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/
- type: Reference
  name: Linux man-pages
  description: The Linux man-pages project.
  url: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/
- type: Website
  name: Linux Foundation
  description: The Linux Foundation hosts the Linux kernel project.
  url: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com