From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Feb 14 23:18:58 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D16BF16A4CE for ; Mon, 14 Feb 2005 23:18:58 +0000 (GMT) Received: from smtp11.wanadoo.fr (smtp11.wanadoo.fr [193.252.22.31]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 83B8843D39 for ; Mon, 14 Feb 2005 23:18:58 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from atkielski.anthony@wanadoo.fr) Received: from me-wanadoo.net (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mwinf1107.wanadoo.fr (SMTP Server) with ESMTP id BB9161C00098 for ; Tue, 15 Feb 2005 00:18:57 +0100 (CET) Received: from pix.atkielski.com (ASt-Lambert-111-2-1-3.w81-50.abo.wanadoo.fr [81.50.80.3]) by mwinf1107.wanadoo.fr (SMTP Server) with ESMTP id 99DA61C00094 for ; Tue, 15 Feb 2005 00:18:57 +0100 (CET) X-ME-UUID: 20050214231857630.99DA61C00094@mwinf1107.wanadoo.fr Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 00:18:57 +0100 From: Anthony Atkielski X-Priority: 3 (Normal) Message-ID: <1587470376.20050215001857@wanadoo.fr> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: References: <200502112313.28082.hindrich@worldchat.com> <823196404.20050212105644@wanadoo.fr> <420DE422.3020102@wanadoo.es> <1546398643.20050212123202@wanadoo.fr> <420E0164.7090300@wanadoo.es> <20050213035851.GV8619@alzatex.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: Freebsd vs. linux X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list Reply-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 23:18:58 -0000 Eric Kjeldergaard writes: > I have to go with Loren, the BSOD certainly still comes up with > NT/2k/(especially)XP systems. I have had systems that would Blue > Screen about once a week. And, before someone (read Anthony) comes > out saying "You're using bum drivers or flaky apps" I definitely was. > I was, however, using ONLY things coming from the Windows Install CDs > or the Windows updates system which means that it's the OS itself that > is at fault. No, it's not. The drivers are often written by third parties, even when they are provided with the OS. And if they contain bugs, they may crash the system. Unfortunately, modules that provide access to the hardware for the operating system must execute at the same level of privilege as the kernel; in other words, they must be "trusted." The OS has no defense against bugs in these modules. This is true in any OS, and it is often a problem for operating systems if the device drivers (or their equivalents) are unreliable. The OS itself is not faulting; the device drivers are doing that. But the OS has no choice but to trust the device drivers, otherwise they cannot fulfill their purpose. So if they fault, they often do so in kernel mode, and the OS is forced to take the system down for reasons of safety. -- Anthony