Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 19, 2026

EKA1

EKA1 is the first-generation kernel for the operating system Symbian OS. EKA1 originated in the earlier 32-bit operating system EPOC. It offers preemptive computer multitasking and memory protection, but no real-time computing guarantees, and a single-threaded device driver model. EKA1 was replaced by EKA2 as the default kernel starting with Symbian v9.

Last revised
Jun 19, 2026
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EKA1
DeveloperPsion
Symbian Ltd.
Written inAssembly language, C
OS familyEPOC (Symbian)
Working stateDiscontinued
Source modelProprietary
Initial release1989 (1989)
Marketing targetPDAs, mobile phones
Available inEnglish
Supported platformsx86, ARM
Kernel typeMicrokernel
Succeeded byEKA2
Official websitedeveloper.symbian.org/wiki/index.php/Category:Kernel_&_Hardware_Services

EKA1 (EPOC Kernel Architecture 1) is the first-generation kernel for the operating system Symbian OS.1 EKA1 originated in the earlier 32-bit operating system EPOC.2 It offers preemptive computer multitasking and memory protection, but no real-time computing guarantees, and a single-threaded device driver model.23 EKA1 was replaced by EKA2 as the default kernel starting with Symbian v9.3

Much of EKA1 was developed by a single software engineer, Colly Myers, when he was working for Psion Software in the early 1990s. Myers went on to act as CEO for Symbian Ltd.,34 when it was formed to license this kernel and associated operating system to mobile phone makers.56

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Orlowski, Andrew (9 November 2010). "Why Symbian failed: developers, developers, developers". The Register. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  2. Sales, Jane (December 2005). Symbian OS Internals: Real-time Kernel Programming. Wiley. pp. 2, 13. ISBN 978-0-470-02525-3.
  3. Morris, Ben (2007). The Symbian OS Architecture Sourcebook: Design and Evolution of a Mobile Phone OS (PDF). John Wiley & Sons. pp. 18, 22, 25, 259, 284, 291. ISBN 978-0-470-01846-0. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  4. "Business: The Company File Mobile giants team up against Microsoft". BBC News. 24 June 1998. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  5. Orlowski, Andrew (29 November 2010). "Symbian's Secret History: The battle for the company's soul". The Register. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  6. Chan, Karen (19 February 2001). "Siemens License Deal Gives Symbian World's Top Five Handset Makers". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 15 January 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)