5 ms·
> If anything, a microkernel is always more bloated because of the extra code needed to do all the process sync. there are more than two types. We have frette
by skwiddor 17y ago
> If anything, a microkernel is always more bloated because of the extra code needed to do all the process sync.
there are more than two types.
We have fretted recently because the plan9 kernel is struggling to fit on a floppy disk when loaded up as an installer with most things turned on.
The whole of plan9, kernel, userspace, 386 binaries & sources for 6 architectures fit into 200Mb uncompressed (and the whole shooting match compiles in 15 minutes).
Linux is a re-implementation of an OS that was already considered dead by it's maintainers.
"Not only is UNIX dead, it's starting to smell really bad." Rob Pike circa 1991.
see also "Sometimes when you fill a vacuum, it still sucks."
- Daishiman 17y agoDoes plan9 support 15 different archs with all of their quirks and subarchitectures? WiFi stack? Support for different power modes? Framebuffers? Kernel probes, high resolution timers, extended inbuilt security APIs? The beauty of plan9 comes from the interface to the userland, not from implementation details and features. If you wanted to add al those features to plan9 I seriously doubt you could get it as lean and quick as Linux.
- skwiddor 17y agoDoes plan9 support 15 different archs with all of their quirks and subarchitectures? no. only 11 WiFi stack? yes, and bluetooth Support for different power modes? yes, I think so, can't say I've ever used it. does "echo blank > /dev/vgactl" count? Framebuffers? no, it is a 21st century os Kernel probes, high resolution timers, extended inbuilt security APIs? yes all in 13 syscalls