[ros-general] why folks

[Patrick Mauritz]

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