Re: Future Direction of GNU Hurd?

arnuld <[email protected]> Sat, 12 Sep 2020 09:22:48 +0530
Newsgroups gmane.os.hurd.l4,gmane.os.hurd.general
Message-ID <CAKryRuvYwD05af55Eh4YdGZ=Zc3MUQ2wd+aJA6PK_mVnYisVxQ@mail.gmail.com>
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> On Sat, Sep 12, 2020 at 1:37 AM Marc Dunivan
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> I understand that the I4 micro-kernel for GNU Hurd is dead,
> and that micro kernels beyond GNU Mach are just research.

I am not the authority on Hurd but I think you are correct on that.

> ..SNIP..
> It is unclear to me as to which documentation one should be reading
> and what physical hardware is being targeted as reference platforms
> for developers to use, and for what purpose?  What are people working on?

Thing is, I once emailed RMS about it and he told me pretty directly and
straightforwardly that they don't need Hurd for GNU because the Linux
kernel is there. Even though Linux kernel uses GPLv2 (not latest GPLv3), it
is still the kernel that GNU is using and they will keep on with it. So
Hurd development is of no concern to GNU. Anyone who wants to work, can
work with Hurd, it is just like other Open-Source software, you are free to
work on it.

Regarding L4 and Pistachio kernels, other developers (yes, excellent ones)
did try to replace Hurd with Pistachio and other L4-kernels from
https://www.l4ka.org/ but design of kernel and technical constraints made
them drop this idea. Then back in 2009, Neil Walfield started working on
Viengoos but later stopped with it because of lack of time. IIRC he was
doing Ph.D at that time:

https://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/microkernel/viengoos.html
http://walfield.org/

If you want to use Hurd then I think you should try it on QEMU first rather
than formatting your hard disk and using it as a general-purpose OS for
everyday tasks. That won't come out pretty. I have done both several years
ago:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QEMU

https://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/


So it is entirely up to you what you read and what you decide to do when it
comes to Hurd because officially there is no direction.



-- 
Regards,
ARNULD
https://lispmachine.wordpress.com/

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>&gt; On Sat, Sep 12, 2020 at 1:37 AM Marc Dunivan</di=
v><div>&gt; &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a=
>&gt; wrote:</div><div>&gt; I understand that the I4 micro-kernel for GNU H=
urd is dead, <br></div><div>&gt; and that micro kernels beyond GNU Mach are=
 just research.</div><div><br></div><div>I am not the authority on Hurd but=
 I think you are correct on that.<br></div><div><br></div><div>&gt; ..SNIP.=
.<br></div><div>&gt; It is unclear to me as to which documentation one shou=
ld be reading</div><div>&gt; and what physical hardware is being targeted a=
s reference platforms <br></div><div>&gt; for developers to use, and for wh=
at purpose?=C2=A0 What are people working on? <br></div><div><br></div><div=
>Thing is, I once emailed RMS about it and he told me pretty directly and s=
traightforwardly that they don&#39;t need Hurd for GNU because the Linux ke=
rnel is there. Even though Linux kernel uses GPLv2 (not latest GPLv3), it i=
s still the kernel that GNU is using and they will keep on with it. So Hurd=
 development is of no concern to GNU. Anyone who wants to work, can work wi=
th Hurd, it is just like other Open-Source software, you are free to work o=
n it.</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding L4 and Pistachio kernels, other de=
velopers (yes, excellent ones) did try to replace Hurd with Pistachio and o=
ther L4-kernels from <a href=3D"https://www.l4ka.org/">https://www.l4ka.org=
/</a> but design of kernel and technical constraints made them drop this id=
ea. Then back in 2009, Neil Walfield started working on Viengoos but later =
stopped with it because of lack of time. IIRC he was doing Ph.D at that tim=
e:<br></div><div><br></div><div><a href=3D"https://www.gnu.org/software/hur=
d/microkernel/viengoos.html">https://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/microkernel/=
viengoos.html</a></div><div><a href=3D"http://walfield.org/">http://walfiel=
d.org/</a></div><div></div><div></div><div><br></div><div>If you want to us=
e Hurd then I think you should try it on QEMU first rather than formatting =
your hard disk and using it as a general-purpose OS for everyday tasks. Tha=
t won&#39;t come out pretty. I have done both several years ago:</div><div>=
<br></div><div><a href=3D"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QEMU">https://en.wi=
kipedia.org/wiki/QEMU</a></div><div><br></div><div><a href=3D"https://www.d=
ebian.org/ports/hurd/">https://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/</a></div><div><br=
></div><div><br></div><div>So it is entirely up to you what you read and wh=
at you decide to do when it comes to Hurd because officially there is no di=
rection.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>-- <br>Regards,<=
br>ARNULD<br><a href=3D"https://lispmachine.wordpress.com/">https://lispmac=
hine.wordpress.com/</a></div>

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