diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | community/gsoc/organization_application.mdwn | 135 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | community/gsoc/project_ideas/driver_glue_code.mdwn | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | community/gsoc/project_ideas/dtrace.mdwn | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | community/gsoc/project_ideas/gnumach_cleanup.mdwn | 2 |
4 files changed, 71 insertions, 70 deletions
diff --git a/community/gsoc/organization_application.mdwn b/community/gsoc/organization_application.mdwn index ee8259b2..8e672af1 100644 --- a/community/gsoc/organization_application.mdwn +++ b/community/gsoc/organization_application.mdwn @@ -1,4 +1,5 @@ -[[!meta copyright="Copyright © 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc."]] +[[!meta copyright="Copyright © 2008, 2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation, +Inc."]] [[!meta license="""[[!toggle id="license" text="GFDL 1.2+"]][[!toggleable id="license" text="Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this @@ -19,46 +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. (Almost 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: @@ -70,19 +67,22 @@ GNU General Public License (GPL) * Why is your organization applying to participate in GSoC 2010? What do you hope to gain by participating? -The primary goal of course is to find and introduce new long-term contributors -to the project. +The primary goal of our participation is of course to find and introduce new long-term contributors +to the Hurd. We are trying to optimise for this in our student selection +process, our mentoring approach, and our choice of project ideas. -Aside from that, it is a way to make progress with tasks that require an amount of -focused work, that is hard to do for volunteers working in their spare time -only. +The mentor-student setup, together with the period of focused work during the +summer session, also offer a unique opportunity for kick-starting innovative +new projects apart from mainline development, which are hard to fit in among +the normal day-to-day development work. This is particularily important for the +Hurd, as innovative uses are crucial to show the benefits of the unique +architecture. Several such projects came into being through the GSoC program +over the past years. -Also it is a good opportunity to get valuable input from new people, as well as +Last but not least, GSoC participation always yields a lot of valuable input from new people, and helps spreading technical and other knowledge about the Hurd among actual and -potential contributors. - -Last but not least, we hope the participation will have a positive effect on -our community -- new impulses, increased communication etc. +potential contributors. It has a very positive effect on +our community -- new impulses, increased communication, etc. * Did your organization participate in past GSoCs? If so, please summarize your involvement and the successes and challenges of your participation. @@ -91,19 +91,19 @@ we participated under the umbrella of the GNU project, getting one slot each year. In 2008 we participated as an organisation on our own for the first time. This -turned out extremely beneficial: With the better visibility, we get a lot +turned out extremely beneficial: with the better visibility, we got a lot more applications (more than 20), mostly of good or excellent quality. In 2009, we were rejected as an organisation, so we participated under the GNU umbrella again. While the 2006 student disappeared midway, in all the later years all of our -students were successful -- including even one who worked on his project in -spite of not getting a slot. Half of them are regular Hurd contributors now. +students were successful -- even including one who worked on his project in +spite of not getting an official slot. Half of them are regular Hurd contributors now. Selecting the most promising students, as well as suitable mentors, turned out to be the most tricky part of GSoC participation -- but we learned our lesson -after the first failure: We didn't have any students that didn't meet our +after the first failure: we didn't have any students that didn't meet our expectations since then, and we also believe our mentoring is exceptionally good now -- one project that was in serious trouble, turned out well after all, due to effective mentor intervention. @@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ won't be left on their own with any problems they face. The plan is mostly to avoid that happening in the first place. To this end, we are particularily careful with selection of students: Making sure -that they have no other obligations during that time; that they are motivated +that they have no other major obligations during that time; that they are motivated enough; that they actually have the necessary skills to complete the task; that they fit in our community. @@ -157,19 +157,19 @@ Also, we will make sure that we are constantly in contact with the students -- asking about progress, discussing technical issues, etc. -- so we can act in time if things go wrong. -If a student disappears in spite of that, there is little we can do. Of course +If a student disappears in spite of all this, there is little we can do. Of course we will try to contact him and find out what the problem is; whether the -project can perhaps be scaled down, or at least wrapped up to bring it in a -state where it is useful even if not finished. - -We will also try to limit damage by insisting that students regularily check in -their work, so that we get partial results at least if someone disappears. +project can perhaps be scaled down, or otherwise salvaged, so that the effort +already invested in the student and the project is not wasted. We also try to +make sure that all important design discussions are archieved, and that all +code produced is suitable for upstream inclusion from the beginning -- to allow +others to pick up the project if necessary, without having to start from zero. * What is your plan for dealing with disappearing mentors? As our mentors all have been with the project for some time, the risk of them disappearing is not too big. If one of them disappears nevertheless, it's not a -problem for us: We have enough mentors, and someone else will take over. +problem for us: we have enough mentors, and someone else will take over. We will encourage the students to keep discussions public as much as possible, keeping private conversations with the mentors to a minimum, so the transition @@ -178,18 +178,18 @@ should go smoothly. * What steps will you take to encourage students to interact with your project's community before, during and after the program? We try to make it very clear that we expect the students to get into regular -contact with us before the end of the student selection process, and won't +contact with us early during the student selection process already, and won't consider their applications otherwise. This way we know that the students are able and willing to communicate with us in the first place. -After selection, the regular contact is kept up: We require the +After selection, the regular contact is kept up: we require the students to participate in IRC meetings up to twice a week, where we ask the students -actively about the work they do, problems they face, decisions they take etc. -Furthermore, we ask them to hang out on IRC most of the time while -working on their projects, so we keep in close contact. +actively about the work they do, problems they face, decisions they take, etc. +Furthermore, we ask them to be available on IRC while working on their +projects, so we can communicate easily. We also require the students to join our main development mailing list, so any -design questions etc. can be discussed there. We encourage them to take +design questions, etc. can be discussed there. We encourage them to take part in other conversations, not directly related to their projects, as well. After the program we continue the regular meetings, discussing the further @@ -208,3 +208,4 @@ program, and generally help keeping them involved. * Backup Admin (Link ID): +tschwinge diff --git a/community/gsoc/project_ideas/driver_glue_code.mdwn b/community/gsoc/project_ideas/driver_glue_code.mdwn index 4e1e338c..9c063e9f 100644 --- a/community/gsoc/project_ideas/driver_glue_code.mdwn +++ b/community/gsoc/project_ideas/driver_glue_code.mdwn @@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ is included in the section entitled [[!meta title="New Driver Glue Code"]] Although a driver framework in user space would be desirable, presently the Hurd -uses kernel drivers in the micro kernel, +uses kernel drivers in the microkernel, [[GNU_Mach|microkernel/mach/gnumach]]. (And changing this would be far beyond a GSoC project...) diff --git a/community/gsoc/project_ideas/dtrace.mdwn b/community/gsoc/project_ideas/dtrace.mdwn index 25e6db29..4a46cf38 100644 --- a/community/gsoc/project_ideas/dtrace.mdwn +++ b/community/gsoc/project_ideas/dtrace.mdwn @@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ causes bad performance is necessary to improve the situation. For that, we need tools for performance measurements. While all kinds of more or less specific profiling tools could be conceived, the most promising and generic approach seems to be a framework for logging certain events in the -running system (both in the micro kernel and in the Hurd servers). This would +running system (both in the microkernel and in the Hurd servers). This would allow checking how much time is spent in certain modules, how often certain situations occur, how things interact, etc. It could also prove helpful in debugging some issues that are otherwise hard to find because of complex diff --git a/community/gsoc/project_ideas/gnumach_cleanup.mdwn b/community/gsoc/project_ideas/gnumach_cleanup.mdwn index 954e1242..4aef0d1b 100644 --- a/community/gsoc/project_ideas/gnumach_cleanup.mdwn +++ b/community/gsoc/project_ideas/gnumach_cleanup.mdwn @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ is included in the section entitled [[!meta title="GNU Mach Code Cleanup"]] -Although there are some attempts to move to a more modern micro kernel +Although there are some attempts to move to a more modern microkernel altogether, the current Hurd implementation is based on [[GNU_Mach|microkernel/mach/gnumach]], which is only a slightly modified variant of the original CMU [[microkernel/Mach]]. |