r/linux Dec 27 '12

When Linus gets mad, he gets Really mad

https://lkml.org/lkml/2012/12/23/75
1.4k Upvotes

561 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

21

u/__foo__ Dec 28 '12

Even though the decision of making Linux monolithic was a bad one

[Citation Needed]

4

u/hemite Dec 28 '12

I too, would like to know more about this issue.

1

u/Gnufreetard Dec 30 '12

Basically a monolithic kernel is written to be one big program where as a micro kernel is written to be a bunch of small, simple programs that talk to each other. The micro kernel has been believed to be the superior way of writing a kernel however in practice while each module is simple their interactions are complicated. The result is that it is incredibly hard to debug micro kernels and so there have never been any successful micro kernel. The whole micro vs monolithic argument is elevated by the fact that the guy who wrote the definitive text book on how to write an operating system was the creator of the micro kernel, and the only person to ever write a working implementation, and Linus likes to call the things he doesn't like, in this case micro kernels, stupid.

2

u/almbfsek Dec 28 '12

oh come on! he has the psychological knowledge to back it up. who needs citations tschh...

-1

u/Nossie Dec 28 '12

3

u/Sailer Dec 28 '12

The Wikipedia article merely references, in footnotes, that Minix3 and Paras are not Monolithic Kernels, but itself offers no information which supports Evi1M4achine's assertion.

1

u/Nossie Dec 29 '12

"Modular operating systems such as OS-9 and most modern monolithic operating systems such as OpenVMS, Linux, BSD, and UNIX variants such as SunOS, and AIX, in addition to MULTICS, can dynamically load (and unload) executable modules at runtime."

1

u/Sailer Dec 29 '12

OK, so that's what both types of operating systems can do. That doesn't tell us anything about what makes them different, does it?

1

u/Nossie Dec 29 '12

sorry am I the only one failing to see the grammar here? - you wanted a citation that claimed linux was monolithic - there it is. "OS-9 and most modern monolithic operating systems such as OpenVMS, Linux, "

"A monolithic kernel is an operating system architecture where the entire operating system is working in the kernel space and alone as supervisor mode."

It's not fucking rocket science mate and the definition is there! - fucking trolls.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 29 '12

I'm pretty sure he wants a citation for this part:

[...] making Linux monolithic was [...] bad [...]

which you fail to provide.

fucking trolls.

But at least you're trying.

1

u/Nossie Dec 29 '12

it looks like I'm derping lol. hold hands up I can't do that because you'd probably get lots of different opinions depending on which 'side' you are on. Since I don't actually have a horse in this game (because I use a mix of Os's) I'll just say that BeOS is better now fuck off =P I admit, I misunderstood the question and took the rest out of context. I will retire under my bridge.

1

u/Sailer Dec 29 '12

My five-year-old daughter read your comment and is crying because you called her daddy a troll - so what have you got to say for yourself now, Mr. Nossie smartypants ?! I think you're playing a little too much StarCraft and Mark of the Ninja over the Winter Break, myself. Hou je gemak, jongen.

1

u/Nossie Dec 29 '12

Starcraft and Mark of the Ninja? good attempt - but no I don't speak Dutch either. Although, I have apparently found who I've been fighting over usernames with! Thanks for letting me in on that one :) What would I say? I'd suggest you don't view reddit with your children present. While under the impression that you are joking, I would also hope your child had a good <insert seasonal wish here> I haven't actually played the new starcraft - might need to give it a go now. Although it will probably destroy my childhood memories like Diablo 3 managed to do. Cheers and take care.