Merge branch 'master' of flubber:~hurd-web/hurd-web

5 files changed, 95 insertions, 26 deletions

diff --git a/community/gsoc.mdwn b/community/gsoc.mdwn
index 73a69b8f..e22bda3d 100644
--- a/community/gsoc.mdwn
+++ b/community/gsoc.mdwn
@@ -11,20 +11,51 @@ License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
 
 [[!meta title="Google Summer of Code"]]
 
-# 2011
-
-We're in!  The GNU Hurd project will again participate in the [Google Summer of
+We're in!  The GNU Hurd project is again participating in the [Google Summer of
 Code](http://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/homepage/google/gsoc2011) under the
 [GNU umbrella](http://www.gnu.org/software/soc-projects/).
 
-As of Monday, 2011-03-28 it's the *student application period*.  This will last
-until [Friday,
-2011-04-08](http://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/events/google/gsoc2011), which
-is plenty of time for preparing and discussing your applications -- but please
-don't wait to the last minute!
-
-
-## Applying for a Task
+This year's *student application period* is over.  Thanks for sending in your
+applications!  We're now reviewing and discussing these, so please pay
+attention to any questions posted on your proposal's page.  The Google site's
+notification system should be sending out emails, too.
+
+As we only have finite resources (meaning that we won't be able to accept all
+GNU Hurd applications even if we wanted to), we will eventually need to make a
+choice about whom to select.  For this, it is a very good idea to be in contact
+with us, be it by answering the evaluators' questions on your proposal's page,
+or by talking to us on the [[mailing_lists]] or on [[IRC]].  At this time, it
+is important for us to get a good impression about the seriousness you're
+showing with your application.
+
+It is a good idea to get familiar with the GNU Hurd, by reading some of our
+[[documentation]], and by using a GNU/Hurd system.  It is also a good idea to
+send in some basic patches (this has already been mentioned in our
+[[student_application_form]]), or discuss with us the principal steps you're
+planning on doing in your intended work area.  Of course, we don't expect you
+to already start working seriously on your project, but any input you're giving
+us will make it easier for us to justify selectiong your specific proposal.  At
+this time, it is not quantity that matters, and it also is not *the perfect
+patch* we're waiting for, but it is rather that we see how you're generally
+able to work with the code.
+
+If you have any questions, don't be shy: please ask!  Nobody expects you to
+know everything.  Even for the long-term Hurd contributors it is common to
+openly post messages to [[mailing_lists/bug-hurd]] saying: *Hey, I don't know
+how to do `X`, can someone please help me?*  And, as we're not working next to
+each other in a conventional office or university setup, we'll need to
+establish and get used to different communication channels.
+
+[Timeline](http://www.google-melange.com/gsoc/events/google/gsoc2011).  As
+boring as it is, but the next step is waiting: we will have to wait for Google
+to announce the number of slots that the whole GNU project gets, and we'll be
+discussing with our GNU peers about how to split these up among all the GNU
+subprojects.
+
+
+# Applying for a Task
+
+Applications for 2011 are closed.
 
 We have a list of [[project_ideas]], and students are likewise encouraged to
 submit their own project proposals.
@@ -40,8 +71,13 @@ Please read up about [[contributing]] in general;
 and feel free to ask any questions you might have at one of our [[regular_IRC_meetings|IRC#regular_meetings]].
 Generally it's a good idea to [[contact_us|communication]] when starting to work on some project.
 
+
+## Outside of the GSoC Scope
+
 Working on one of these projects is generally a good opportunity to get started
-with Hurd development, even outside of the GSoC context.
+with Hurd development, even outside of the GSoC context.  Please don't hesitate
+to contact us regarding mentoring even if it's not GSoC time at the moment, or
+if you aren't a student anyway.
 
 
 # History
diff --git a/community/gsoc/project_ideas/driver_glue_code.mdwn b/community/gsoc/project_ideas/driver_glue_code.mdwn
index 65ea4f0f..ad8ea2f8 100644
--- a/community/gsoc/project_ideas/driver_glue_code.mdwn
+++ b/community/gsoc/project_ideas/driver_glue_code.mdwn
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ To be able to work on the framework,
 the student will also have to get a good understanding of certain aspects of Hurd,
 such as memory management for example.
 
-Possible mentors: Samuel Thibault (youpi)
+Possible mentors: Zheng Da, Samuel Thibault (youpi)
 
 Exercise: Get one of the not yet integrated Linux network card drivers to work.
 (Note: This should be straightforward,
diff --git a/faq/which_microkernel/discussion.mdwn b/faq/which_microkernel/discussion.mdwn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9ef3b915
--- /dev/null
+++ b/faq/which_microkernel/discussion.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+This version mixes up three distinct phases: rewrite from scratch; redesign;
+own microkernel.
+
+While Okuji initially might have intended a direct port of the existing Hurd
+code, by the time I started following Hurd development (2004 IIRC), it has been
+long clear that Hurd/L4 is a rewrite from scratch.
+
+The next phase was the desire of Neal and especially Macrus to completely
+reinvent the design of the Hurd. This was mostly fueled by Shapiro's influence,
+resulting in a security-above-everything rage. It was in this phase that not
+only the original L4 has been abandonend, but also all thoughts about using
+newer L4 variants (which might have been suitable) were forsaken in favor of
+Shapiro's Coyotos.
+
+The whole idea of redesigning the Hurd -- especially for security concerns --
+is highly controversial: I always strongly objected to it; and Marcus later
+admitted himself that he got carried away and lost sight of what really matters
+for the Hurd. (But only after realising that Shapiro's notion of high security
+is fundamentally incompatible with the GNU philosophy.) I opted for not
+explicitely mentioning this aspect in the FAQ at all, as it's impossible to
+explain properly in a compact form, and probably impossible at all to do it in
+an objective fashion.
+
+The final phase -- following the realisation of incompatibility with
+Shapiro/Coyotos -- was the attempt to create new microkernels specifically for
+Hurd's needs. Marcus abandonned his pretty soon, and never made it public, so I
+didn't mention it at all; but Viengoos is still relevant in certain ways.
+
+BTW, my original text also more explicitely answers the question what happened
+to the Coyotos port -- which after all is what the title promises...
+
+All in all, I still think my text was better. If you have any conerns with it,
+please discuss them...
diff --git a/open_issues/pfinet.mdwn b/open_issues/pfinet.mdwn
index 8782fe08..7aadd736 100644
--- a/open_issues/pfinet.mdwn
+++ b/open_issues/pfinet.mdwn
@@ -10,9 +10,18 @@ License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
 
 [[!tag open_issue_hurd]]
 
-IRC, #hurd
+In certain situations, pfinet spawns more and more threads,
+apparently without any bounds.
 
-pfinet explosion
+The thread creation happens in bursts rather than continuously.
+According to a backtrace in GDB,
+all the threads are functional and waiting for client requests.
+(The bursts are getting smaller as the number of threads rises,
+but probably only because the enormous number of existing threads
+slows down processing in general.)
 
-    <antrik> I reproduce it with freeciv client connected to a remote X server
-    <antrik> it suffices to run freeciv-gtk2, and clicking "new game"
+This can be triggered quite reliably by X clients running on the Hurd system,
+connected to an X server on another machine over TCP,
+and transferring fairly large amounts of data.
+The easiest way to reproduce it I found is launching freeciv-gtk2,
+pressing the "new game" button, and then simply waiting for a while.
diff --git a/sidebar.mdwn b/sidebar.mdwn
index f398820a..3ce17a1c 100644
--- a/sidebar.mdwn
+++ b/sidebar.mdwn
@@ -13,15 +13,6 @@ Welcome to... [[!img /logo/boxes-redrawn.png link=/logo]] ... the GNU Hurd!
 
 ---
 
-[[!template id=highlight text="""**Breaking News**
-
----
-
-The **Google Summer of Code 2011** is on!  If you're a student, consider
-applying for a GNU Hurd project -- details to be found on our
-*[[community/GSoC]] page*."""]]
-
----
   * **[[Home|/index]]**
   * **[[Community]]**
   * **[[Contributing]]**