Torvalds on the Microkernel Debate

diegocgteleline.es writes "Linus Torvalds has chimed in on the recently flamed-up (again) micro vs monolithic kernel, but this time with an interesting and unexpected point of view. From the article: 'The real issue, and it's really fundamental, is the issue of sharing address spaces. Nothing else really matters. Everything else ends up flowing from that fundamental question: do you share the address space with the caller or put in slightly different terms: can the callee look at and change the callers state as if it were its own (and the other way around)?'"

Comments

pfff

[Umbral Blot]

pfff, Linus, what would he know?

Re:Windows is monolithic

[Vo0k]

Because it's based on a huge, monstrous monolithic microkernel.

Re:Linus Quote - "not arguing against it at all"

[mgessner]

Only a really, *really* incompetent idiot would write such a server which blocked until the read was finished.

This sounds like a veiled reference to something; would you care to name it?

Re:Obvious

[Slashcrap]

While neither NT nor Mac OS X are true microkernels, the architecture of both is strongly inspired by microkernel ideas.

What exactly does "inspired" mean in this case? I am "inspired" by John Holmes but that doesn't mean I have a 12" cock does it?

If you talk to kernel programmers, most will express a high degree of respect for the NT kernel, which is based on the DEC VMS kernel. It mostly the poor design of systems that sit on top of the kernel that has earned Windows its reputation.

So, did VMS have a graphics subsystem in the kernel as well? Also can you provide some examples of kernel experts praising the NT kernel for its microkernel properties? Thanks in advance.

Re:Multiple-processes: micro vs monolithic

[Intron]

I see you are also a fan of monolithic posts.

This micro-post shows a division into seperable units.

Using message passing, I can efficiently communicate this to you.

Note that other readers may be reading different sections of my post while you read this one.

This section of my post never has to access internal structures of the other sections. In fact, I could have written each section in any order. Feel free to reorder them yourself.