Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2003 20:43:07 -0500 From: Bill Moran <wmoran@potentialtech.com> To: Matthias Buelow <mkb@mukappabeta.de> Cc: Damien Tougas <damien@tougas.net>, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: A question about kernel modules Message-ID: <3E694AAB.9020108@potentialtech.com> In-Reply-To: <20030308001111.GB7867@moghedien.mukappabeta.net> References: <200303071155.43785.damien@tougas.net> <3E68FBD4.2090401@potentialtech.com> <20030308001111.GB7867@moghedien.mukappabeta.net>
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Matthias Buelow wrote:
> Bill Moran writes:
>
>>First would be historical. BSD is historically a monolithic kernel. The
>>more
>>you rely on modules, the more the kernel acts like a microkernel. I suspect
>
> The kernel will still not be a microkernel.. it doesn't really matter
> at what time the stuff is linked; a microkernel generally uses message
> passing between mostly independent server processes, which is not what
> the BSD kernel does.
I made two seperate comments here, and you stretched them into something
I didn't mean.
Comment 1: KLDs are more microkernlish than compiled-in modules
Comment 2: Looking into my crystal ball, I think that one day the FreeBSD
kernel will be a microkernel.
This doesn't mean that I think making things into KLDs makes the kernel
a microkernel. I understand that there are other characteristics of
microkernels that are seperate from the simple idea of loadable kernel
modules.
All I'm saying is that KLDs are a move away from the traditional
compiled-in monolithic kernel. That move is in the direction of microkernel.
It's a long ways away yet, but it's pointing that direction.
Whether comment #2 ever becomes reality or not remains to be seen.
Besides, Windows claims to be a microkernel and it doesn't act like one at
all ... hell, any change you make requires a reboot. And they get away with
calling it a microkernel.
--
Bill Moran
Potential Technologies
http://www.potentialtech.com
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