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% Copyright 2014, General Dynamics C4 Systems
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\chapter{\label{ch:intro}Introduction}

% FIXME: Use of service, mechanism and abstraction is munged through here and the rest of the manual

The seL4 microkernel is an operating-system kernel designed to be
a secure, safe, and reliable foundation for systems in a wide variety of
application domains. As a microkernel, it provides a small number of
services to applications, such as abstractions to create and manage virtual address
spaces, threads, and inter-process communication (IPC). The small number
of services provided by seL4 directly translates to a small
implementation of approximately $8700$ lines of C code. This has allowed
the ARMv6 version of the kernel to be formally proven in the Isabelle/HOL 
theorem prover to adhere to its formal
specification~\cite{Boyton_09,Cock_KS_08,Derrin_EKCC_06,Elkaduwe_GE_08,Klein_EHACDEEKNSTW_09,Tuch_KN_07,Winwood_KSACN_09},
which in turn enabled proofs of the kernel's enforcement of
integrity~\cite{Sewell_WGMAK_11} and
confidentiality~\cite{Murray_MBGBSLGK_13}. The kernel's small size was
also instrumental in performing a complete and sound analysis of
worst-case execution time~\cite{Blackham_SCRH_11,Blackham_SH_12}.

This manual describes the seL4 kernel's API from a user's point of view.
The document starts by giving a brief overview of the seL4 microkernel
design, followed by a reference of the high-level API exposed by the
seL4 kernel to userspace.

While we have tried to ensure that this manual accurately reflects the
behaviour of the seL4 kernel, this document is by no means a formal
specification of the kernel. When the precise behaviour of the kernel
under a particular circumstance needs to be known, users should refer to
the seL4 abstract specification, which
gives a formal description of the seL4 kernel.
