Point 2. 'Most of Inferno is written in Limbo' is not qutie correct. The operating system itself, device drivers etc. are written in C. The bulk of the applications many of which are familiar commands (see the Vita web site for details) are written in Limbo. One gets an interesting insight into the efficacy of the language when comparing these implementations to the C equivalents.
To consider Inferno as just an OS is to miss the point some what. Inferno is a collection of technologies to support the development of distributed applications across a range of devices from the tiny (see the lego brick example at the Vita web site) to the large. I observe that the radical difference between it and other approaches is that it emphasises the distribution of protocol not program in its model. For example, in the Java world distribution relies upon the support of the Java VM (a large program) which for small devices is problematic. Inferno, on the other hand utilises a simple, unifying protocl Styx to support the 'represent everything as a file metaphor' and can be implemented on legacy systems and tiny devices with ease.
Analogies are sometimes useful. If you like the Inferno distribution metaphor then you can implement Styx without subscribing to Inferno, in the same way you can implement http without using Netscape or IE. The Inferno OS provides an environment (both native and hosted) that leverages Styx and provides a complete, simple and scaleable solution for constructing distributed applications.
I agree. I am also reminded of an incident in Dublin a few years ago; when lost in the city I asked a taxi driver for directions to the airport. His response was 'I would not start from here'. Linux has proven very effective in the server space but if you were to ask me for directions on how to make it embedded I would reply with the same response as the taxi driver. The alternative is to pay as little as $150 and get the source code to an OS that was designed for the embedded space and use that as your starting point.
In fact many elements of Inferno have been eponymously named after Dante's Divine Comedy. Inferno and Limbo you have already covered. DIS, the virtual machine, is the citidal at the centre of hell, STYX, the protocol, is the river that runs through hell and Charon, the browser, was the boatman who ferried souls from Limbo into hell. Vita Nuova also has a link. Dante's first work which was a book of poetry about his first love, Beatrice, is called La Vita Nuova - meaning new life. Beatrice features again in the Divine Comedy as it was she who sent Virgil to guide Dante through the Inferno.
Lucent's PathStar Access Server also uses Inferno. This is a serious piece of iron which has to provide high availability while it processes 1000's of voice and data connections.
The intent is not to penalise the individual to the contrary. Consider the prices in absolute terms and corporations pay three times that of an individual. I doubt anyone will begrudge the discount to academics or students as they are the grassroots of tomorrow.
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Point 2. 'Most of Inferno is written in Limbo' is not qutie correct. The operating system itself, device drivers etc. are written in C. The bulk of the applications many of which are familiar commands (see the Vita web site for details) are written in Limbo. One gets an interesting insight into the efficacy of the language when comparing these implementations to the C equivalents.
To consider Inferno as just an OS is to miss the point some what. Inferno is a collection of technologies to support the development of distributed applications across a range of devices from the tiny (see the lego brick example at the Vita web site) to the large. I observe that the radical difference between it and other approaches is that it emphasises the distribution of protocol not program in its model. For example, in the Java world distribution relies upon the support of the Java VM (a large program) which for small devices is problematic. Inferno, on the other hand utilises a simple, unifying protocl Styx to support the 'represent everything as a file metaphor' and can be implemented on legacy systems and tiny devices with ease.
Analogies are sometimes useful. If you like the Inferno distribution metaphor then you can implement Styx without subscribing to Inferno, in the same way you can implement http without using Netscape or IE. The Inferno OS provides an environment (both native and hosted) that leverages Styx and provides a complete, simple and scaleable solution for constructing distributed applications.
I agree. I am also reminded of an incident in Dublin a few years ago; when lost in the city I asked a taxi driver for directions to the airport. His response was 'I would not start from here'. Linux has proven very effective in the server space but if you were to ask me for directions on how to make it embedded I would reply with the same response as the taxi driver. The alternative is to pay as little as $150 and get the source code to an OS that was designed for the embedded space and use that as your starting point.
In fact many elements of Inferno have been eponymously named after Dante's Divine Comedy. Inferno and Limbo you have already covered. DIS, the virtual machine, is the citidal at the centre of hell, STYX, the protocol, is the river that runs through hell and Charon, the browser, was the boatman who ferried souls from Limbo into hell. Vita Nuova also has a link. Dante's first work which was a book of poetry about his first love, Beatrice, is called La Vita Nuova - meaning new life. Beatrice features again in the Divine Comedy as it was she who sent Virgil to guide Dante through the Inferno.
Lucent's PathStar Access Server also uses Inferno. This is a serious piece of iron which has to provide high availability while it processes 1000's of voice and data connections.
The intent is not to penalise the individual to the contrary. Consider the prices in absolute terms and corporations pay three times that of an individual. I doubt anyone will begrudge the discount to academics or students as they are the grassroots of tomorrow.