Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (3135 mails)

[Russell Jones <russell.jones@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kai Ponte wrote:
> > > For example, I often use the Cisco VPN client to telecommute. It seems
> > > that every few weeks - I guess when  kernel update happens - the client
> > > fails. I'm then forced to recompile.
> > >       
> > In the case of a vpn client I would tend to agree, I see very little reason
> > for placing that inside the kernel
> >
> > Incidentally (but I guess you know this) there is an ancient debate over
> > the relative merits of monolithic (i.e. do everything in kernel space) vs.
> > micro-kernels (kernels that do as little as possible in kernel space)
> >     
>
> Yep!
>
> In fact there's a beauty of a post with Mr. Torvalds arguing about it with 
> Andy Tannenbaum back in '91. I remember reading it in the late '90s when I 
> first switched to Linux on a few desktops and then my P133 laptop.
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.minix/browse_frm/thread/c25870d7a41696d2/3f6b594a5b4eccb4?lnk=st&q=&rnum=1#3f6b594a5b4eccb4
>
> http://tinyurl.com/34ojmg
>   
> > It usually ends up being a question of performance. For design, micro
> > kernels usually win hands down, while for performance, the micro kernels
> > haven't even reached the starting line when the monolithic kernels drink
> > the victory champagne
> >     
>
> Yeah, it kind of reminds me of the old relational vs. hierarchical debate in 
> DBM systems.
>   

The discussion is not quite dead :-) The HURD has stalled, but there are 
some interesting developments: Minix 3, for instance (Linux was 
originally based on Minix, as you may know). This paper is interesting 
in this connexion.
http://minixonxen.skynet.ie/cgi-bin/trac.cgi/attachment/wiki/Report/Report.pdf?format=raw
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