gsoc/organization_application: rework description of Hurd project

Almost completely rewrote most of the description, dropping the
politics, and focusing on the points I have been trying to emphasise in
my recent Hurd presentations.

1 files changed, 34 insertions, 38 deletions

diff --git a/community/gsoc/organization_application.mdwn b/community/gsoc/organization_application.mdwn
index 6775a854..8ec61c12 100644
--- a/community/gsoc/organization_application.mdwn
+++ b/community/gsoc/organization_application.mdwn
@@ -20,46 +20,42 @@ for the [GNU operating system](http://gnu.org), which is viable for everyday
 use, and gives users and programs as much control over their computing
 environment as possible.
 
-When the Hurd was originally started in 1990, it was the last missing major
-component for a complete GNU system. Today Linux and other free kernels are
-available to fill this gap, and the combination of GNU and Linux (often
-[incorrectly](http://www.gnu.org/gnu/why-gnu-linux.html) called just "Linux")
-is in wide use. However, the Hurd is still interesting due to its unique
-design, better fitting the GNU philosophy than traditional monolithic kernels
-like Linux.
-
-The GNU GPL guarantees that all users of software published under this license
-get the legal permission to adapt the software they are using according to
-their wishes, and also get the source code and other tools necessary to put
-this permission to use. However, in traditional operating systems, the kernel
-and related low-level system software are protected from normal users, and
-cannot be easily modified; only the system administrator has power over these.
-
-The Hurd offers special mechanisms that allow any user to change almost all of
-the system functionality he uses, without affecting the rest of the system, and
-thus easily (at runtime) and without any special permissions.
-
-This ability to run subenvironments more or less independant from the rest of
-the system, can be classified as a very sophisticated [lightweight
-virtualization](http://tri-ceps.blogspot.com/2007/10/advanced-lightweight-virtualization.html)
-approach.
-
-To offer these possibilities, the Hurd uses a true multiserver microkernel
-architecture. That makes it quite unique: The Hurd is the only general-purpose
-multiserver microkernel system in development today that is nearly ready for
-everyday use, and offering almost perfect UNIX compatibility. (About 65%
-of all packages in the Debian repository are available for the Hurd.) All other
-existing true microkernel systems are either research projects not nearly
-complete enough for actual use, or limited to embedded systems and other
-special purposes, or both.
-
-Marcus Brinkmann and Neal Walfield from the Hurd project are working at the
-bleeding edge of microkernel operating system research. They have been in
-contact with the most distinguished researchers in that field from the
+In traditional operating systems, most system functionality is provided by the
+kernel, and thus cannot be easily modified. The Hurd on the other hand --
+following the GNU spirit of giving users more control over the software they
+use -- implements a unique design, which makes it feasible to change almost
+everything, down to the core features of the system.
+
+While on other systems, such changes would require a lot of effort and special
+privileges to rebuild the system core, with the Hurd this is not necessary: the
+extensible architecture enables users (or applications) to simply modify their
+local system environment at any time, while leaving the rest of the system in
+place.
+
+The most obvious example is the completely decentralized VFS mechanism: it can
+be extended in almost any imaginable way, simply by setting up suitable server
+processes (translators). Not only does this empower users, but also it helps
+application development: desktop environments such as GNOME for example, when
+making use of these possibilities, wouldn't need to create their own VFS
+mechanism -- they simply could extend the system VFS to suit their needs.
+
+One major element of the design which enables this extensibility, is the use of
+a true multiserver microkernel architecture. The Hurd is quite unique in being
+the only general-purpose multiserver microkernel system in development today,
+that is nearly ready for everyday use, and offering almost perfect UNIX
+compatibility. (About 65% of all packages in the Debian repository are
+available for the Hurd.) The "general-purpose" and "everyday use" bits are
+decisive here: all other existing true microkernel systems are either research
+projects not nearly complete enough for actual use; or limited to embedded
+systems and other special purposes; or both.
+
+Marcus Brinkmann and Neal Walfield, while working on improvements to the Hurd
+design, pushed at the forefront of microkernel operating system research. They
+worked with the most distinguished researchers in this field from the
 [L4](http://l4hq.org/) and
 [EROS](http://www.eros-os.org/eros.html)/[Coyotos](http://www.coyotos.org/)
-microkernel operating system groups, and have written a couple of [research
-papers](http://walfield.org/).
+microkernel operating system groups, and published a couple of [research
+papers](http://walfield.org/) as well in this process.
 
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