hurd/advantages: Rewritten some bits, and extended.

1 files changed, 49 insertions, 50 deletions

diff --git a/hurd/advantages.mdwn b/hurd/advantages.mdwn
index ba3a134b..254e33f6 100644
--- a/hurd/advantages.mdwn
+++ b/hurd/advantages.mdwn
@@ -9,60 +9,59 @@ Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.  A copy of the license
 is included in the section entitled
 [[GNU Free Documentation License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
 
-The Hurd is not the most advanced kernel known to the planet (yet),
-but it does have a number of enticing features:
+The GNU Hurd has a number of enticing features:
+
+It's free software, so anybody can use, modify, and redistribute it under the
+terms of the [[GNU General Public License (GPL)|GPL]].
+
+It's compatible as it provides a familiar programming and user environment.
+For all intents and purposes, the Hurd provides the same facilities as a modern
+Unix-like kernel.  The Hurd uses the [[GNU C Library|glibc]], whose development
+closely tracks standards such as ANSI/ISO, BSD, POSIX, Single Unix, SVID, and
+X/Open.
+
+Unlike other popular kernel software, the Hurd has an object-oriented structure
+that allows it to evolve without compromising its design.  This structure will
+help the Hurd undergo major redesign and modifications without having to be
+entirely rewritten.
+
+The Hurd is built in a very modular fashion.  Other Unix-like kernels (Linux,
+for example) are also modular in that they allow loading (and unloading) some
+components as kernel modules, but the Hurd goes one step further in that most
+of the components that constitute the whole kernel are running as separate
+user-space processes and are thus using different address spaces that are
+isolated from each other.  This is a multi-server design based on a
+[[microkernel]].  It is not possible that a faulty memory dereference inside
+the [[TCP/IP stack|translator/pfinet]] can bring down the whole kernel, and
+thus the whole system, which is a real problem in a monolothic Unix kernel
+architecture.
 
-  * **it's free software**
-    
-    Anybody can use, modify, and redistribute it under the terms of the
-    [[GNU_General_Public_License_(GPL)|GPL]]
-
-  * **it's compatible**
-
-    The Hurd provides a familiar programming and user environment.  For all
-    intents and purposes, the Hurd is a modern Unix-like kernel.  The Hurd uses
-    the [[GNU_C_Library|glibc]], whose development closely tracks standards
-    such as ANSI/ISO, BSD, POSIX, Single Unix, SVID, and X/Open.
-
-  * **it's built to survive**
-
-    Unlike other popular kernel software, the Hurd has an object-oriented
-    structure that allows it to evolve without compromising its design.  This
-    structure will help the Hurd undergo major redesign and modifications
-    without having to be entirely rewritten.
-
-  * **it's scalable**
-
-    The Hurd implementation is aggressively multithreaded so that it runs
-    efficiently on both single processors and symmetric multiprocessors.  The
-    Hurd interfaces are designed to allow transparent network clusters
-    (*collectives*), although this feature has not yet been implemented.
-
-  * **it's extensible**
-
-    The Hurd is an attractive platform for learning how to become a kernel
-    hacker or for implementing new ideas in kernel technology.  Every part of
-    the system is designed to be modified and extended.
+One advantage of the Hurd's separation of kernel-like functionality into
+separate components ([[servers|translator]]) is that these can be constructed
+using different programming lanugages -- a feature that is not easily possible
+in a monolithic kernel.  Essentially, only an interface from the programming
+environment to the [[RPC]] mechanism is required.
 
-  * **it's stable**
+<!-- This is a bit questionable...
 
-    It is possible to develop and test new Hurd kernel components without
-    rebooting the machine (not even accidentally).  Running your own kernel
-    components doesn't interfere with other users, and so no special system
-    privileges are required.  The mechanism for kernel extensions is secure by
-    design: it is impossible to impose your changes upon other users unless
-    they authorize them or you are the system administrator.
+It's scalable.  The Hurd implementation is aggressively multithreaded so that
+it runs efficiently on both single processors and symmetric multiprocessors.
+The Hurd interfaces are designed to allow transparent network clusters
+(*collectives*), although this feature has not yet been implemented.
 
-  * **it exists**
+-->
 
-    The Hurd is real software that works Right Now.  It is not a research
-    project or a proposal.  You don't have to wait at all before you can start
-    using and developing it.
+The Hurd is an attractive platform for learning how to become a kernel hacker
+or for implementing new ideas in kernel technology.  Every part of the system
+is designed to be easily modified and extended.
 
----
+It is possible to develop and test new Hurd kernel components without rebooting
+the machine.  Running your own kernel components doesn't interfere with other
+users, and so no special system privileges are required.  The mechanism for
+kernel extensions is secure by design: it is impossible to impose your changes
+upon other users unless they authorize them or you are the system
+administrator.
 
-One advantage of the Hurd's separation of kernel-like functionality into
-separate components ([[servers|translator]]) is that these can be constructed
-using different programming lanugages, a thing that is not easily possible in a
-monolithic kernel.  Essentially, only an interface from the programming
-environment to the RPC mechanism is required.
+The Hurd is real software that works right now.  It is not a research project
+or a proposal.  You don't have to wait at all before you can [[start
+using|running]] and [[developing|contributing]] it.