By: Tzvetan Mikov (tmikov.delete@this.gmail.com), May 8, 2006 3:41 pm
Room: Moderated Discussions
After todays mention of microkernels on Slashdot, I came across this explanation of "hybrid kernels" in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_kernel
This is the first time I see something on Wikipedia, which I think is blatantly wrong. (You can see my comments in the "talk" page associated with the article).
Anyway, the article describes NT's kernel as a "hybrid kernel" sharing architectural concepts or mechanisms with microkernel designs such as "message passing" and "migration of "non-essential" code into user space". This strikes me as rubbish for two reasons:
- In NT messages (IRPs) are used for implementing asynchronous execution, which is essentially an implementation detail and has nothing to do with microkernels. As a matter of fact IRPs are so fragile, that in a sense they achieve an effect opposite to a microkernel.
- All essential subsystems in NT are implemented in the kernel - filesystems, usb, networking, etc. Of course there are components in user space which are considered part of the OS (what isn't in Windows?), but such components are implented in user space in all OS-es.
The article goes to say that a hybrid kernel like NT's is not to be confused with a with monolithic kernels that can load modules like Linux. Again, this seems like nonsense to me - the stable driver ABI (and the closed source) has facilitated creating of many drivers outside of the NT kernel tree, but this is not a conceptual difference. The precise technique of loading a driver/module into the kernel doesn't really matter, if the driver shares the same address space and can have access to kernel structures.
To me the difference between a microkernel and NT (or Linux) is much greater than the differences between NT and Linux, for example.
So, I am not brave enough to edit a page no Wikipedia, but what do you guys thinks ? Am I confused, or is wikipedia wrong ? If it is the latter, should we consider edting it ? (BTW, I am staying away of subjects like which is better, etc - I just want to clarify the definitions)
This is the first time I see something on Wikipedia, which I think is blatantly wrong. (You can see my comments in the "talk" page associated with the article).
Anyway, the article describes NT's kernel as a "hybrid kernel" sharing architectural concepts or mechanisms with microkernel designs such as "message passing" and "migration of "non-essential" code into user space". This strikes me as rubbish for two reasons:
- In NT messages (IRPs) are used for implementing asynchronous execution, which is essentially an implementation detail and has nothing to do with microkernels. As a matter of fact IRPs are so fragile, that in a sense they achieve an effect opposite to a microkernel.
- All essential subsystems in NT are implemented in the kernel - filesystems, usb, networking, etc. Of course there are components in user space which are considered part of the OS (what isn't in Windows?), but such components are implented in user space in all OS-es.
The article goes to say that a hybrid kernel like NT's is not to be confused with a with monolithic kernels that can load modules like Linux. Again, this seems like nonsense to me - the stable driver ABI (and the closed source) has facilitated creating of many drivers outside of the NT kernel tree, but this is not a conceptual difference. The precise technique of loading a driver/module into the kernel doesn't really matter, if the driver shares the same address space and can have access to kernel structures.
To me the difference between a microkernel and NT (or Linux) is much greater than the differences between NT and Linux, for example.
So, I am not brave enough to edit a page no Wikipedia, but what do you guys thinks ? Am I confused, or is wikipedia wrong ? If it is the latter, should we consider edting it ? (BTW, I am staying away of subjects like which is better, etc - I just want to clarify the definitions)
Topic | Posted By | Date |
---|---|---|
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Tzvetan Mikov | 2006/05/08 03:41 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | S. Rao | 2006/05/08 05:14 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Bill Todd | 2006/05/08 05:16 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Tzvetan Mikov | 2006/05/08 06:21 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | nick | 2006/05/08 06:50 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Bill Todd | 2006/05/09 12:26 AM |
There aren't enough words... | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/09 01:39 AM |
There aren't enough words... | Tzvetan Mikov | 2006/05/09 02:10 PM |
There aren't enough words... | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/14 11:25 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Tzvetan Mikov | 2006/05/09 10:17 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Bill Todd | 2006/05/09 03:05 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | rwessel | 2006/05/08 10:23 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Richard Urich | 2006/05/09 05:03 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | _Arthur | 2006/05/09 06:06 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/09 06:40 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | _Arthur | 2006/05/09 07:30 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/09 08:07 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | _Arthur | 2006/05/09 08:36 AM |
Linux vs MacOSX peformance, debunked | _Arthur | 2006/05/18 06:30 AM |
Linux vs MacOSX peformance, debunked | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/18 07:19 AM |
Linux vs MacOSX peformance, debunked | Anonymous | 2006/05/18 11:31 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Linus Torvalds | 2006/05/09 07:16 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Andi Kleen | 2006/05/09 01:32 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | myself | 2006/05/09 02:24 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | myself | 2006/05/09 02:41 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Brendan | 2006/05/09 04:26 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Linus Torvalds | 2006/05/09 07:06 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Brendan | 2006/05/13 12:35 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | nick | 2006/05/13 03:40 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Brendan | 2006/05/13 08:48 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | nick | 2006/05/13 06:41 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Brendan | 2006/05/13 08:51 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | nick | 2006/05/14 04:57 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Brendan | 2006/05/14 09:40 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | nick | 2006/05/14 10:46 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Brendan | 2006/05/15 03:00 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | rwessel | 2006/05/15 06:21 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Brendan | 2006/05/15 07:55 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Linus Torvalds | 2006/05/15 08:49 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | nick | 2006/05/15 03:41 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | tony roth | 2008/01/31 01:20 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | nick | 2006/05/15 05:33 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Brendan | 2006/05/16 12:39 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | nick | 2006/05/16 01:53 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Brendan | 2006/05/16 04:37 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Anonymous | 2008/05/01 09:31 PM |
Following the structure of the tree | Michael S | 2008/05/02 03:19 AM |
Following the structure of the tree | Dean Kent | 2008/05/02 04:31 AM |
Following the structure of the tree | Michael S | 2008/05/02 05:02 AM |
Following the structure of the tree | David W. Hess | 2008/05/02 05:48 AM |
Following the structure of the tree | Dean Kent | 2008/05/02 08:14 AM |
Following the structure of the tree | David W. Hess | 2008/05/02 09:05 AM |
LOL! | Dean Kent | 2008/05/02 09:33 AM |
Following the structure of the tree | anonymous | 2008/05/02 02:04 PM |
Following the structure of the tree | Dean Kent | 2008/05/02 06:52 PM |
Following the structure of the tree | Foo_ | 2008/05/03 01:01 AM |
Following the structure of the tree | David W. Hess | 2008/05/03 05:54 AM |
Following the structure of the tree | Dean Kent | 2008/05/03 09:06 AM |
Following the structure of the tree | Foo_ | 2008/05/04 12:06 AM |
Following the structure of the tree | Michael S | 2008/05/04 12:22 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | Linus Torvalds | 2006/05/09 04:19 PM |
Microkernel Vs Monolithic Kernel | Kernel_Protector | 2006/05/09 08:41 PM |
Microkernel Vs Monolithic Kernel | David Kanter | 2006/05/09 09:30 PM |
Sigh, Stand back, its slashdotting time. (NT) | Anonymous | 2006/05/09 09:44 PM |
Microkernel Vs Monolithic Kernel | blah | 2006/05/12 07:58 PM |
Microkernel Vs Monolithic Kernel | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/15 12:41 AM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT | AnalGuy | 2006/05/16 02:10 AM |
Theory versus practice | David Kanter | 2006/05/16 11:55 AM |
Distributed algorithms | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/16 11:53 PM |
Theory versus practice | Howard Chu | 2006/05/17 01:54 AM |
Theory versus practice | JS | 2006/05/17 03:29 AM |
Play online poker, blackjack !!! | Gamezonex | 2007/08/16 12:49 PM |
Hybrid kernel, not NT (NT) | atle rene mossik | 2020/12/12 08:31 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | philt | 2006/05/14 08:15 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Linus Torvalds | 2006/05/15 07:20 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Linus Torvalds | 2006/05/15 10:56 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/16 12:22 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | rwessel | 2006/05/16 10:23 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/16 11:43 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | rwessel | 2006/05/17 12:33 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/19 06:51 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | rwessel | 2006/05/19 11:27 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | techIperson | 2006/05/15 12:25 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | mas | 2006/05/15 04:17 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Linus Torvalds | 2006/05/15 04:39 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Colonel Kernel | 2006/05/15 08:17 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Wink Saville | 2006/05/15 09:31 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Linus Torvalds | 2006/05/16 09:08 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Wink Saville | 2006/05/16 08:55 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | rwessel | 2006/05/16 10:31 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Linus Torvalds | 2006/05/16 11:00 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Brendan | 2006/05/16 12:36 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Paul Elliott | 2006/09/03 07:44 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Rob Thorpe | 2006/09/04 08:25 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | philt | 2006/05/15 11:55 PM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | pgerassi | 2007/08/16 06:41 PM |
Another questionable entry on Wikipedia? | Chung Leong | 2006/05/18 09:33 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | israel | 2006/05/20 03:25 AM |
Hybrid (micro)kernels | Rob Thorpe | 2006/05/22 07:35 AM |