Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 16:14:07 -0700 (MST) From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org> To: hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Kernel driver source installer? (fwd from Lee Crites) Message-ID: <199701222314.QAA22351@phaeton.artisoft.com>
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>From adonai@jump.net Tue Jan 21 21:13:56 1997
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Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 22:25:06 -0600
To: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
From: Lee Crites <adonai@jump.net>
Subject: Re: Kernel driver source installer?
Cc: msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au (Michael Smith), terry@lambert.org,
hackers@freebsd.org
Since I'm probably still killed on the freebsd.org system, I'll send this to
you and let you do with it as you please...
At 17:51 21-01-97 -0700, Terry Lambert wrote:
>Uh, why should you have to reboot? The act of placing the driver object
>in the directory should place it in your kernel...
Check out aix. You can build kernel extensions with impunity. To quote the
"AIX RS/6000 as a REAL-TIME SYSTEM" redbook: "The AIX kernel is a
dynamically extendable kernel that can be expanded by adding device drivers,
system calls, kernel services, or private kernel routines. Extensinos can
be added at system boot time or while the system is in operation."
And it works.
>If you keep making these things easy without a real soloution,
>where is the "squeaky wheel" incentive for a real soloution? 8-) 8-).
I'm not trying to be a 'squeaky wheel' here, but this is a real possibility.
There are good systems we can model off of. The Sequent, for one, with it's
real-time, on-line kernel tuning. And, as I have already said, aix with
it's ability to add kernel extensions on the fly.
Having been on the kernel extension writing end of things, I can appreciate
how complex it would be to configure a live, running kernel that can accept
aribrary extensions on the fly. However, making something that can
link/re-link on reboot wouldn't be as difficult.
I am currently working in an environment where they are rather heavy into
aix boxes. The new unix sa, who worked for ibm in the aix development area
for years and years followed by several jobs as aix sa, couldn't imagine a
need to ever rebuild the kernel! When he loaded linux on a box and was
confronted with having to actually do it, it was just a little more than he
could handle for a while.
My point here is if we continue to think of things in terms of a single
paradigm, that is all we will ever see, thus the only solutions we will ever
come up with. If, on the other hand, we continue to expand our vision, we
will be able to come up with much better solutions.
Lee
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