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| -rw-r--r-- | community/gsoc/organization_application.mdwn | 72 |
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. * Home Page: |