From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: 103376,c23311c4d57b937e X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit Path: g2news1.google.com!news1.google.com!sn-xit-02!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!corp.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Benjamin Ketcham Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Embedded Keynote Speaker Mentions Ada Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 22:22:53 -0000 Organization: Ye 'Ol Disorganized NNTPCache groupie Message-ID: <1095978171.340824@yasure> References: <414B6E62.9070402@acm.org> <0hL2d.762$QB1.501@trndny02> <414E2306.6030404@acm.org> <8%q3d.1820$kn2.1441@trndny07> <414EE3A0.9080106@acm.org> <1095728821.921629@yasure> <1095858248.693771@yasure> User-Agent: tin/1.6.2-20030910 ("Pabbay") (UNIX) (Linux/2.4.20-29.8.progeny.8 (i686)) Cache-Post-Path: yasure!unknown@cascadia.drizzle.com X-Cache: nntpcache 2.4.0b5 (see http://www.nntpcache.org/) X-Complaints-To: abuse@supernews.com Xref: g2news1.google.com comp.lang.ada:4055 Date: 2004-09-23T22:22:53+00:00 List-Id: Marius Amado Alves wrote: >>>Yes, and better yet, IMO, would be more advanced systems, >>>distributed systems e.g. Plan 9 or Unununium, or real time systems >>>e.g. VxWorks (is there a port to stock PCs already?), or a >>>combination, because c'mon, the Linux kernel sucks eggs. A "more advanced" system would only be of interest in *this* context, if it is widely used (or has the realistic potential to become widely used). >> VxWorks has its place, sure, and if you were developing eg a set-top >> box it might be the right thing. Even there people are using embedded >> Linux for preference. > > Doesn't a set-top require real time? RTLinux? > >> Pretty sure you can get VxWorks off the shelf for stock PCs... > > Cool, maybe I'll try some day. I'm pretty fed up with Windows and Linux. > >> Not sure whether sucking eggs is (in your view) good or bad? > > Bad. No real time. Not distributed. Monolithic. (Sorry I though sucking > eggs was universally bad :-) I think "monolithic" is debatable, in terms of being a disadvantage. Linus and others have made reasonable-sounding arguments for the benefits of a monolithic design. It is certainly a considered choice. Witness the Windows NT kernel: started out at least somewhat modular, but then they had to fold performance-crucial aspects (such as graphics) back into a monolithic kernel. Distributed: what about Beowulf? Real time: RTLinux, etc.. Again, my point is not to argue that Linux is some kind of great OS without any flaws. Its greatest benefits IMO are that it's free, and that it works *well enough*: i.e., a heck of a lot better than Windows. If something comes along that works a heck of a lot better than Linux, then that will be of interest. --Benjamin