In article <1992Aug28.171744.6460@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de> S_TITZ@iravcl.ira.uka.de (Olaf Titz) writes:
quoted text
>
>While the Linux kernel does its job well, its being monolithic is a
>problem since all of the parts are interdependent, and to comprehend
>the work of one of them, you have to know the whole system. This may
>work for Linux but is unacceptable for bigger systems.

This isn't true - although the kernel is one big chunk of 
code, it is subdivided into smaller modules, such as the VM 
code, each one of the file systems, each device driver, etc.  Some of these
modules have incestous relationships with eachother due to various
kludges and hacks, but this isn't necessary.

You do have to understand some basic "common" things used in the 
kernel - ie, how the fs register points into user space, how 
sleep/wakeup work, etc, but to say you have to understand the 
whole kernel to write a device driver is a gross overstatement.

        <deleted>

quoted text
>>    I like the Linux RISC-like approach, do only a few things, but very
>>  well and very fast. Build the complex functions out of sequences of
>>  simple operations. To me this means simple kernel calls and the library
>>  providing the complex stuff.
>
>I completely agree, and I wonder why this issue now is raised again by
>Linux where this was the design principle of the original UNIX 20
>years ago.  And now UNIX is a huge giant with a lot of memory donuts
>:-) needed to feed him.

I agree too - 1.5 - 3M for a typical vendor's kernel is outrageous, 
when it doesn't do anything that a generic 500K BSD or Linux kernel
can't do.

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>
>>    Don't take this as a rejection of multi-server by me, I'm unconvinced
>>  rather than convinced against. Sort of a software agnostic.
>
>Again: Computers are NOT the right place to practice religion. :-)
>Better an agnostic than determinedly believing in something that can
>possibly be proven wrong. :-)
>

Blasphemy! There is nothing but the one true EMACS! :-)

-- 
Microsoft is responsible for propogating the evils it calls DOS and Windows, 
IBM for AIX (appropriately called Aches by those having to administer it), but 
marketing's sins don't come close to those of legal departments.
Boycott AT&T for their absurd anti-BSDI lawsuit.