From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Mar 16 12:56:23 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 67FD31065671; Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:56:23 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from rwatson@FreeBSD.org) Received: from cyrus.watson.org (cyrus.watson.org [209.31.154.42]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 39FB58FC18; Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:56:23 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from rwatson@FreeBSD.org) Received: from fledge.watson.org (fledge.watson.org [209.31.154.41]) by cyrus.watson.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E7B1946C48; Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:56:21 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:56:21 +0000 (GMT) From: Robert Watson X-X-Sender: robert@fledge.watson.org To: "Andrey V. Elsukov" In-Reply-To: <160451205650165@webmail50.yandex.ru> Message-ID: <20080316122108.S44049@fledge.watson.org> References: <47DBC800.8030601@dir.bg> 9060000000184602561 <160451205650165@webmail50.yandex.ru> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Cc: jgordeev@dir.bg, freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: vkernel & GSoC, some questions X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:56:23 -0000 On Sun, 16 Mar 2008, Andrey V. Elsukov wrote: > 16.03.08, 09:30, "David O'Brien" : > >>> Add virtual kernel (vkernel) support to FreeBSD for the i386 and amd64 >>> architectures. >>> >>> The vkernel support in question is the one found in DragonFlyBSD. >> >> Not being up on DragonFlyBSD, can you better describe what "vkernel" is? > > vkernel is similar to User Mode Linux technology. You can boot vkernel as a > user mode process. I think it will be good to have similar in FreeBSD. There > are several links: > http://leaf.dragonflybsd.org/mailarchive/users/2007-01/msg00237.html > http://www.dragonflybsd.org/docs/articles/vkernel/vkernel.shtml Another avenue to consider is the Linux KVM virtualization technology, which is seeing a high level of interest in the Linux community and sounds increasingly mature and well-exercised. It would also offer interesting migration benefits for Linux users wanting to try FreeBSD, allowing them to trivially create new FreeBSD installs under their existing Linux install. We had an SoC project last year but I'm not sure what the outcome was; it would be useful to give Fabio a ping and see how things are going. Obviously, anyone doing this project would need to manage the license issues involved carefully. Robert N M Watson Computer Laboratory University of Cambridge