I wrote:
: Count me among them.  Micro kernels are a crock.  OS technology should be
: simple and small, all the fun stuff is happening in user land these days.
: ---
: Larry McVoy                   (415) 336-7627                   lm@sun.com

I've had several messages requesting clarification on this.  

My point is not: do all the OS stuff in userland.  

My point is: OS technology is done.  Do a small kernel that implements the
useful system calls and call it quits.  I think this is Linux.

The comment about userland means that the interesting space is
applications.  Not OS.  You can build an OS with wizzy features but
people are not interested in wizzy features, they are interested in
selling the most copies of McPaint.  They won't use wizzy features
unless every OS has those features. Why?  Because their app won't
port.  No port == less copies sold.  Less copies sold == less $.
Everyone is motivated by $.  People would like to write an app that
works on DOS, Unix, VMS, etc, etc.  Check out FrameMaker - they've
ported to Windows.  Do you think that FrameMaker will use any features
that are unique to Unix?  Not anymore.

So I think projects like Linux are right on the money: make an OS that 
implements the stuff that is needed, no more.  Do the simplest thing.
Don't have a million layers and an OS source base that runs on every
processor - that becomes a maintainence nightmare.
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Larry McVoy                     (415) 336-7627                   lm@sun.com