This is a header library that provides generic low-level facilities,
mainly abstractions of architecture-specific operations that C/C++ do
not abstract.  It is intended to be usable by the kernel, user apps,
and standalone code such as bootloaders, with either C or C++.  

It contains both privileged and nonprivileged operations (and some,
such as reading a clock, whose privileged status and/or availability
in a standalone environment depends on the architecture or other
factors); it is up to the user of the library to know whether it is
privileged enough to use any given function.