diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index 5132be7..c6d4ded 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -16,10 +16,8 @@ LD=ld
 LD_FLAGS=-nodefaultlibs -nostdlib --no-demangle -T link.ld
 
 all: Asm_Kernel C_Kernel
-	$(LD) $(LD_FLAGS) -Map kernel.map boot.o \
-	kernel.o asmfuncs.o mm.o vmm.o parallel.o \
-	conv.o kout.o vconsole.o console.o devices.o \
-	-o kernel.bin
+	$(LD) $(LD_FLAGS) -Map kernel.map boot.o kernel.o asmfuncs.o mm.o vmm.o parallel.o \
+	conv.o kout.o vconsole.o console.o devices.o pic.o -o kernel.bin
 
 Asm_Kernel:
 	$(NASM) $(NASM_FLAGS) -l boot.lst boot.asm -o boot.o
@@ -35,6 +33,7 @@ C_Kernel:
 	$(CC) $(CC_FLAGS) -c char/vconsole.c -o vconsole.o
 	$(CC) $(CC_FLAGS) -c fs/devices.c -o devices.o
 	$(CC) $(CC_FLAGS) -c console.c -o console.o
+	$(CC) $(CC_FLAGS) -c sys/pic.c -o pic.o
 
 #################################################
 # Clean up the source directory of any binaries #
diff --git a/kernel/char/keyboard.c b/kernel/char/keyboard.c
index 74b2fa9..e16f5e3 100644
--- a/kernel/char/keyboard.c
+++ b/kernel/char/keyboard.c
@@ -1,33 +1,32 @@
 // keyboard.c
 // Author: Josh Holtrop
 // Created: 04/17/03
-// Modified: 08/02/04
+// Modified: 08/16/04
 
 #include "hos_defines.h"
 #include "char/keyboard.h"
 #include "sys/io.h"
 #include "sys/pic.h"
 #include "functions.h"
-#include "kio.h"
 
 #define KBD_BUFFER_LENGTH 64
 
-byte kbdFlags = 0;		//holds current keyboard flags - caps/num/scroll/shift/ctrl/alt
-byte kbdAscii = 0;		//holds ASCII value of a key pressed
-byte kbdScan = 0;		//holds the keyboard scan code of a key pressed
+u8_t kbdFlags = 0;		//holds current keyboard flags - caps/num/scroll/shift/ctrl/alt
+u8_t kbdAscii = 0;		//holds ASCII value of a key pressed
+u8_t kbdScan = 0;		//holds the keyboard scan code of a key pressed
 
-dword kbdBuffer[KBD_BUFFER_LENGTH];	//a buffer for all keypresses
+u32_t kbdBuffer[KBD_BUFFER_LENGTH];	//a buffer for all keypresses
 int kbdBufferStart = 0;			//position of next key in buffer
 int kbdBufferLen = 0;			//number of keys left in the buffer
-byte kbdExt = 0;			//# of extended key codes left to input
-byte kbdExt2 = 0;                       //# of 2nd-set-extended key codes left to input
-byte ackReason = 0;		//used to record the reason why we would get an acknowledge byte (0xFA)
+u8_t kbdExt = 0;			//# of extended key codes left to input
+u8_t kbdExt2 = 0;                       //# of 2nd-set-extended key codes left to input
+u8_t ackReason = 0;		//used to record the reason why we would get an acknowledge u8_t (0xFA)
 
 
 //these arrays convert a keyboard scan code to an ASCII character value
                                    //nul esc            bksp tab              lctl            lsft            rsft lalt caps F1  F2  F3  F4  F5  F6  F7  F8  F9  F10 numScrlNumPad-------                                  unknown---- F11 F12 unknown....
-const byte SCAN2ASCII[129]      = "\000\0331234567890-=\010\011qwertyuiop[]\n\001asdfghjkl;'`\001\\zxcvbnm,./\001*\001 \001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001-\001\001\001+\001\001\001\001\001\002\002\002\001\001\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002";
-const byte SCAN2ASCIISHIFT[129] = "\000\033!@#$%^&*()_+\010\011QWERTYUIOP{}\n\001ASDFGHJKL:\"~\001|ZXCVBNM<>?\001*\001 \001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001789-456+1230.\002\002\002\001\001\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002";
+const u8_t SCAN2ASCII[129]      = "\000\0331234567890-=\010\011qwertyuiop[]\n\001asdfghjkl;'`\001\\zxcvbnm,./\001*\001 \001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001-\001\001\001+\001\001\001\001\001\002\002\002\001\001\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002";
+const u8_t SCAN2ASCIISHIFT[129] = "\000\033!@#$%^&*()_+\010\011QWERTYUIOP{}\n\001ASDFGHJKL:\"~\001|ZXCVBNM<>?\001*\001 \001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001\001789-456+1230.\002\002\002\001\001\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002\002";
 
 //====FUNCTIONS:
 // The Keyboard Interrupt Service Routine
@@ -35,7 +34,7 @@ void isr_keyboard()
 {
 	kbdScan = inportb(0x60);
 	//printf("\nKEYBOARD INTERRUPT: 0x%x", kbdScan);
-	byte inState = inportb(0x61);
+	u8_t inState = inportb(0x61);
 	outportb(0x61, inState|0x80);
 	outportb(0x61, inState);
 	
@@ -198,7 +197,7 @@ void isr_keyboard()
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			kbdBuffer[(kbdBufferStart+kbdBufferLen++)%KBD_BUFFER_LENGTH] = (dword) ((kbdFlags << 16) | (kbdScan << 8) | kbdAscii);
+			kbdBuffer[(kbdBufferStart+kbdBufferLen++)%KBD_BUFFER_LENGTH] = (u32_t) ((kbdFlags << 16) | (kbdScan << 8) | kbdAscii);
 //			printf("S:%d\tL:%d\tR:%x\n", kbdBufferStart, kbdBufferLen, kbdBuffer[kbdBufferStart]);
 		}
 	}
@@ -208,11 +207,11 @@ void isr_keyboard()
 }
 
 //Gets a key from the buffer, returns 0 if no keys available, returns immediately
-dword kbdGetKey()
+u32_t kbdGetKey()
 {
 	if (kbdBufferLen == 0)					//buffer empty
 		return 0;
-	dword retVal = kbdBuffer[kbdBufferStart];
+	u32_t retVal = kbdBuffer[kbdBufferStart];
 	kbdBufferStart++;
 	kbdBufferLen--;
 	if (kbdBufferStart >= KBD_BUFFER_LENGTH)
@@ -221,14 +220,14 @@ dword kbdGetKey()
 }
 
 //Gets a key from the buffer, if no keys available, waits for one to be entered
-dword kbdWaitKey()
+u32_t kbdWaitKey()
 {
 	for (;;)
 	{
 		if (kbdBufferLen != 0)					//buffer empty
 			break;
 	}		
-	dword retVal = kbdBuffer[kbdBufferStart];
+	u32_t retVal = kbdBuffer[kbdBufferStart];
 	kbdBufferStart++;
 	kbdBufferLen--;
 	if (kbdBufferStart >= KBD_BUFFER_LENGTH)
@@ -245,3 +244,4 @@ void	kbd_resetLEDs()
 
 
 
+
diff --git a/kernel/char/parallel.c b/kernel/char/parallel.c
index c4a1428..237bb11 100644
--- a/kernel/char/parallel.c
+++ b/kernel/char/parallel.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ int	parallel_init(major_t major)
 	{
 		parallel_driver->char_write = parallel_char_write;
 		devices_register_major('c', major, parallel_driver);
+		// register parallel devices as /dev/lp0, etc...
 		return 0;
 	}
 	return -1;
diff --git a/kernel/char/vconsole.c b/kernel/char/vconsole.c
index 6c96516..23017a9 100644
--- a/kernel/char/vconsole.c
+++ b/kernel/char/vconsole.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // vconsole.c
 // Author: Josh Holtrop
 // Date: 08/02/04
-// Modified: 08/07/04
+// Modified: 08/16/04
 
 #include "char/vconsole.h"
 #include "hos_defines.h"
diff --git a/kernel/console.c b/kernel/console.c
index f0d2d56..b481fec 100644
--- a/kernel/console.c
+++ b/kernel/console.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // console.c
 // Author: Josh Holtrop
 // Date: 08/07/04
+// Modified: 08/16/04
 
 #include "fs/devices.h"
 #include "char/vconsole.h"
diff --git a/kernel/fs/devices.c b/kernel/fs/devices.c
index 14706c0..89af08b 100644
--- a/kernel/fs/devices.c
+++ b/kernel/fs/devices.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // devices.c
 // Author: Josh Holtrop
 // Date: 08/02/04
-// Modified: 08/07/04
+// Modified: 08/16/04
 
 
 #include "fs/devices.h"
diff --git a/kernel/fs/devices.h b/kernel/fs/devices.h
index c144123..3af3866 100644
--- a/kernel/fs/devices.h
+++ b/kernel/fs/devices.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // devices.h
 // Author: Josh Holtrop
 // Date: 08/02/04
-// Modified: 08/07/04
+// Modified: 08/16/04
 
 #ifndef __HOS_DEVICES_H__
 #define __HOS_DEVICES_H__ __HOS_DEVICES_H__
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 #define MAJORC_VCONSOLE 4
 #define MAJORC_PARALLEL 6
+#define MAJORC_KEYBOARD 11
 
 typedef unsigned char major_t;
 typedef unsigned char minor_t;
diff --git a/kernel/functions.h b/kernel/functions.h
index c1c5ce4..8eb4cad 100644
--- a/kernel/functions.h
+++ b/kernel/functions.h
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ static inline void halt()
 }
 
 //Initializes 8253 Programmable Interrupt Timer
-static inline void timer_init()
+static inline void timer_init(u32_t freq)
 {
- 	//set timer : 2e9c = 100hz
+	u32_t	wait = 1193180 / freq;	//how many ticks the PIT must wait before issuing an interrupt
 	outportb(0x43, 0x34);
-	outportb(0x40, 0x9c); //lsb
-	outportb(0x40, 0x2e); //msb
+	outportb(0x40, freq); //lsb
+	outportb(0x40, freq >> 8); //msb
 }
 
 //Returns the size of the kernel (code & data)
diff --git a/kernel/hos_defines.h b/kernel/hos_defines.h
index 847919c..ce24fbe 100644
--- a/kernel/hos_defines.h
+++ b/kernel/hos_defines.h
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+// hos_defines.h
+// Author: Josh Holtrop
+// Date: 08/15/04
+// Modified: 08/16/04
 
 #ifndef __HOS_DEFINES_H__
 #define __HOS_DEFINES_H__ __HOS_DEFINES_H__
diff --git a/kernel/kernel.c b/kernel/kernel.c
index 41889ff..1de8fcb 100644
--- a/kernel/kernel.c
+++ b/kernel/kernel.c
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+// kernel.h
+// Author: Josh Holtrop
+// Date: 08/16/04
+// This is the main kernel initialization and boot-strapping file
 
 #include "kernel.h"
 #include "multiboot.h"
@@ -12,6 +16,8 @@
 #include "char/vconsole.h"
 #include "fs/devices.h"
 #include "console.h"
+#include "sys/io.h"
+#include "sys/pic.h"
 
 mb_info_t mb_info_block;
 mb_mmap_t mb_mmap[MAX_MMAP];
@@ -87,6 +93,10 @@ int k_mbsave(mb_info_t *mbinfo, unsigned int mb_magic)
 void k_init()
 {
 	criticalCounter++;
+	pic_remap(0x20, 0x28);
+	pic_mask1(0);			//unmask IRQ's 0-7
+	pic_mask2(0);			//unmask IRQ's 8-15
+	timer_init(100);
 	mm_init();
 	vmm_init();
 		// test the memory manager
diff --git a/kernel/kout.c b/kernel/kout.c
index 6cc1197..d036b81 100644
--- a/kernel/kout.c
+++ b/kernel/kout.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // kout.c
 // Author: Josh Holtrop
 // Date: 08/02/04
+// Modified: 08/16/04
 
 #include "hos_defines.h"
 #include "char/parallel.h"
diff --git a/kernel/sys/io.c b/kernel/sys/io.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 3993d10..0000000
--- a/kernel/sys/io.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-// io.c
-// Author: Josh Holtrop
-// Created: 02/26/04
-// Implements basic port input/output functions
-
-#include "sys/io.h"
-
-