Instruction file imported from CloudCarpentry/Bharat-OS (.github/instructions/kernel.instructions.md). Copyright stays with the author.

Bharat-OS Kernel and Low-Level Instructions

• Read root AGENTS.md and the nearest scoped AGENTS.md before editing.
• Keep kernel code mechanism-only and verification-friendly.
• New public functions/types use bh_*; public constants/macros/enums use BH_*.
• Document ownership, lock ordering, memory ordering, lifecycle states, and cross-core protocol invariants.
• Do not pass pointers or native-width layout-dependent fields through IPC/uRPC/wire structures.
• Use fixed-width versioned messages and static layout assertions.
• Do not hold locks while waiting for remote completion.
• Use monotonic HAL time and bounded retries; implement replay/idempotence where retries occur.
• Consider MMU, MMU-Lite, and MPU backends for memory-protection changes.
• Add focused regression, negative, concurrency, and partial-failure tests.
• Run the mandatory architecture and QEMU gates from root AGENTS.md before completion.