17 Feb
2004
17 Feb
'04
7:45 p.m.
Am Dienstag, 17. Februar 2004 19:47 schrieb Enrico Weigelt:
You didnt really answer the question.
sorry, I
guess there were too many, hidden in too many mails
BTW the architecture of the Linux kernel is newer than
1980, although
it provides a unix-style userland vm. I dont see whats wrong with
this, yet - but I'd like to hear your arguments.
people tend to joke about the
change in WinNT4 where parts of the graphic
driver were moved to kernelspace and point to the "superior" design of linux.
let's see:
- fbdev: reduced functionality, unstable graphic drivers with a real
management problem
- DRM/DRI+agpgart: kernelguard with userspace module, 3D only
- XFree86: drivers in userspace that get access to ring0 instructions
(inb/outb), enumerate the pci bus by themselves (code duplication, bad
design, potential problems), directly interact with hardware (which needs
synchronization with the kernel in more than one way) - btw: these inb/outb
things are accessible to each and every process running as root (and can
program every hardware you have, read out your keyboard controller, rape
your cat...)
- directfb: works on top of fbdev, inherits its problems and needs root+ring0
accessors, combining both the worst parts of fbdev and XFree86 (while
solving the problems of its authors, so I guess that's ok)
what exactly is superior with that?
similar reasons apply to most other parts of the linux kernel: they're either
_inferior_ to the WinNT design (maybe not in implementation but that's one of
the things ReactOS must do different, by design) or plain incompatible. and
before you start with "how about improving linux": with a strong
"benevolent
dictator" it might be hard to get architectural improvements into linux, look
for project UDI on lkml as reference what happens to people suggesting
this...
also, reactos started with "real code" in 1997 or 1998 - what was the state of
linux back then?
finally, the last 6 months were about the most successful months in the
existance of ReactOS - a good reason to move on, instead of retargetting, or
not?
there are a lot of things that went pretty good with linux, but using a
remotely modern design (where are personalities, when you need them?) and
subscribing to API contracts (see UDI discussions or the problems nvidia has
to catch up with their drivers) are definitely not on their agenda.
grow up
patrick mauritz