On Sat, Mar 09, 2002 at 08:47:37PM +0100, M E Leypold @ labnet wrote:
Jeroen Dekkers writes:
useful state. However it is not as urgent anymore as there are some free software kernels.
The Hurd is technically better and it also promotes free software and GNU better. The claims of microsoft saying that free software isn't innovative would just be void, for example.
Oh really? Make me laugh! Not that I doubt the technical superiority of the kernel Hurd, but it won't stop MS from claiming to have invented -- well -- everything (starting with Bits+Bytes, Math etc.).
But with the Hurd we can say that we are innovative. GNU/Linux is just a clone of Unix, I don't see a lot of innovative things in it. Of course there are a lot of new and good things which weren't in Unix, but the overall principle is just the same.
Thus there are areas, where we do not have Free Software at all. To conquer these might be more important than to develop another kernel.
The Hurd isn't just another kernel. It isn't even a kernel, it is a multiserver system running on a microkernel (gnumach). Also Linux isn't really going good IMHO (just look at the 2.4 versions). IMHO GNU/Hurd also has the potential to be the world leading operating system.
I'd just wish, you'd cut that out. I -- in example -- am looking forward to the HURD, since I hope ist will solve some of the problems I have with the current 'state-of-the-practice' systems, like, I'd like to see a real process local, user controllable + virtual operating environment (like the fs in plan9). The Unix philosphy is a bit outdated here (just look at the difference between networking and file system, it makes me shudder), but wether Hurd can contribute to a solution here remains still to be evaluated.
Somebody already asked whether this was possible on our mailinglist. The Hurd could have most of the plan9 features if just somebody took the time to implement it.
In the meantime I have the wish to work on a stable + free (as freedom) system, so Linux is indispensable.
I don't deny that, I use GNU/Linux to do most of the things.
I do not think, that another OS war in the free sw camp is helpful now.
Why war? I only want to say that the Hurd also exists as an alternative to Linux.
Jeroen Dekkers