Yes, the Linux kernel is indeed monolithic. In a monolithic kernel, all of the operating system's core services, such as process and memory management, file system, device drivers, network handling, etc., are included in the same address space. This design provides high performance and efficiency since all services are directly accessible without the need for message passing or context switching. However, unlike traditional monolithic architectures, the Linux kernel is also modular. This means that certain elements, usually device drivers, can be compiled and inserted into the kernel at runtime, which allows for greater flexibility without needing to shut down and restart the entire system. This hybrid design combines the efficiency of monolithic kernels with the modularity and extensibility of microkernels.

Yes, the Linux kernel is considered a monolithic kernel. A monolithic kernel is an operating system architecture where the entire operating system is working in the kernel space. This means that the Linux kernel, which is the core part of the Operating System, includes various services like the file system, process management, memory management, I/O, and device drivers. One key thing to note about monolithic kernels like Linux is that, unlike micro kernels, all of its device drivers reside in the kernel space. This makes the system more efficient since making a request from the user space to kernel space constructs unnecessary overhead. Moreover, Linux is also considered a modular monolithic kernel. Even though the modules, such as device drivers or file systems, are running in kernel space, they don’t need to be loaded until necessary. This modularity adds a level of flexibility, allowing Linux to add or remove functionalities to the kernel at runtime without needing to reboot the system. However, the monolithic nature means that a single bug in the kernel can potentially bring down the whole system, and increasing the complexity of the kernel could make maintenance and debugging more challenging. In conclusion, while Linux is indeed a monolithic kernel, its modularity feature differentiates it from other purely monolithic kernel structures. This allows for more convenience and efficiency in the core functioning of Linux-based systems.