[Arm-netbook] microkernels

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

On Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 1:49 PM Hendrik Boom <hendrik at topoi.pooq.com> wrote:
>
> On Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 12:45:42AM +0100, Paul Boddie wrote:
> >
> > Of course, one could look more closely at microkernel-based systems for a
> > possible remedy. Sadly, ever since the famous Torvalds versus Tanenbaum
> > discussion, plenty of people cling to the remarks of the former as he sought
> > to ridicule the work of the latter, oblivious to the fact that...
> >
> >  1. Microkernel performance was always a tradeoff (acknowledged by the DMERT
> >     work done by Bell Labs in the 1970s and in other contemporary work).
> >  2. Performance has improved substantially over the years and in some cases
> >     wasn't that bad to begin with, either.
> >  3. Billions of devices have shipped with microkernels.
> >
> > Some people also probably cling to the idea that Torvalds "won" his debate.
> > Now that MINIX 3 runs in every Intel CPU supporting Management Engine
> > functionality, it is clear who actually won, at least in terms of the "bottoms
> > on seats" measure of success that the Linux kernel developers tend to
> > emphasise over things like GPL compliance by vendors (some of those vendors
> > being Linux Foundation members, of course).
>
> Just curious -- what microkernel systems are available to run on modern
> home computers just in case one is tired of Linux and wanting to try
> something else?

 SE/L4.  one research group actually created a complete
minimum-compliant POSIX subsystem on top of SE/L4, absolutely nothing
to do with any operating system "per se", and then successfully ported
an entire qt-based webkit browser *and all its dependencies* to run on
it.

the "filesystem" was entirely flat.  no subdirectories.  so when i say
"minimally compliant" it really really was "minimally compliant".

l.