Re: A Layered Kernel: Proposal

From: Grigor Gatchev (grigor_at_zadnik.org)
Date: 02/25/04

  • Next message: Markus Klotzbuecher: "Re: can i modify ls" 
    Date:	Wed, 25 Feb 2004 16:44:58 +0200 (EET)
To: Rik van Riel <riel@redhat.com>

    On Wed, 25 Feb 2004, Rik van Riel wrote:

    > On Wed, 25 Feb 2004, Grigor Gatchev wrote:
    >
    > > > I'm all for cleaning up the badly written code so it fits
    > > > in better with the rest of the kernel ;)
    > >
    > > Unhappily, cleaning up would not be enough. A separation of the kernel
    > > layers, to the extent that one may be able to use them independently,
    > > and to plug modules between them (having the appropriate access) may be
    > > better.
    >
    > Some parts of the kernel (eg. the VFS or the device driver
    > layers) can already do that, while others still have layering
    > violations.
    >
    > I suspect that the least destabilising way of moving to a
    > more modular model would be to gradually clean up the layering
    > violations in the rest of the code, until things are modular.

    Definitely.

    I believe that, a layered model mandated or not, kernel development will
    go generally the same way. A clear goal may improve much the process, but
    will not change the things to be done. Even if that model is mandated,
    most probably first production versions will not be completely compliant
    with it.

    -
    To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
    the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
    More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
    Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/

  • Next message: Markus Klotzbuecher: "Re: can i modify ls"

    Relevant Pages

    • Re: A Layered Kernel: Proposal
      ... >> But the idea that the kernel should exist as a kind of onion, ... > Isolation and layering have already proved themselves a lot. ... If you get rid of the layers and layers ... >> allows for the removal of dead code, ...
      (Linux-Kernel)
    • Re: A Layered Kernel: Proposal
      ... > layers, to the extent that one may be able to use them independently, ... Some parts of the kernel (eg. the VFS or the device driver ... more modular model would be to gradually clean up the layering ... send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in ...
      (Linux-Kernel)
    • Re: A Layered Kernel: Proposal
      ... A separation of the kernel ... >> layers, to the extent that one may be able to use them independently, ... > more modular model would be to gradually clean up the layering ... > violations in the rest of the code, until things are modular. ...
      (Linux-Kernel)
    • Re: [OT]Re: Is it time for secure C ?
      ... >> kernel itself is quite secure and well designed, other layers of the OS, ... implementation level. ... Dan Pop ...
      (comp.lang.c)
    • Re: [PATCH 1/3] 2.6.8-rc4-mm1 - Fix UML build
      ... can access them all, and initialized data all before uninitialized, so ... SYMLINKS:= $,$/$f) ... semaphore.c-dir = kernel ... send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in ...
      (Linux-Kernel)