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-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,bc1361a952ec75ca X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-08-20 16:25:00 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!sn-xit-02!supernews.com!newsfeed.direct.ca!look.ca!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsxfer.eecs.umich.edu!news.bu.edu!acs5.bu.edu!ddutheza From: Didier Utheza Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Progress on AdaOS (Was: Re: How Ada could have prevented the Red Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2001 19:24:56 -0400 Organization: Boston University Message-ID: References: <4a885870.0108112341.7ce02ac0@posting.google.com> <9l6pdo$rlo$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk> <9IFe7.12813$6R6.1221214@news1.cableinet.net> <9lghqu$ac6$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <3B7C3293.76F49097@home.com> <9lhefg$lgd$1@nh.pace.co.uk> <3B7D47F1.25D6FC78@boeing.com> <5ee5b646.0108171856.18631c4c@posting.google.com> <3B7F624B.7294D24F@acm.org> <9lr6je$5hj$1@nh.pace.co.uk> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Trace: news3.bu.edu 998349899 6742 128.197.153.50 (20 Aug 2001 23:24:59 GMT) X-Complaints-To: news@bu.edu In-Reply-To: <9lr6je$5hj$1@nh.pace.co.uk> Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:12154 Date: 2001-08-20T19:24:56-04:00 List-Id: The same problem arrived in the case of freeos (the free OS-2 project). Actually the soul of the project (the initiator) gave up and this created a vacuum. People talked a lot but did not have incentive to write some code. In the case of Hurd, I will say that everybody is right. Hurd appeared once Linux showed that it was possible to accomplish such a project. It looks that the GNU fundation took the project out of the drawer then. It is still an incomplete system. Now, I beleive (I may be wrong) that the *BSDs were here before Linux. But for some reasons they di not make it in front of the scene (possible reasons: too many divergences in the core development team: OpenBSD, NetBSD, FreeBSd,... that posed problem for the development of the critical parts, and they missed the internet horse. I do not say that the *BSDs are not operational. They are pretty good systems, actually better than Linux in many points (M$ uses a *BSD system as a server for hotmail after w$nt blew the service up several times. They still have the audacity to host a webpage that critisize Unix. An old fellow sure, but it works). But the big wave of internet cooperation around Linux eventually profited *BSDs, they did not initiate it. Now, in the case of AdaOS. The project has, as you said, two major difficulties. The first one is to develop a C-independent compiler. This implies to actually develop several kernels to address the various processor (intel, alpha,...). The development of an Ada compiler is not given to everybody. Maybe a cooperation between the AdaOS team and the GNAT group could ease things a little bit. Everyone will gain from it, and the time spend on it would be less. The other difficulty is of course to start developping the OS itself. As it was said in the thread, if you have to wait for the compiler before developping the OS, it will become a fuzzy dream (it may become it already). Now since we have GNAT, it is still possible to start something and the members of the team that direct the project will have to do at some point the transition. The GNAT group may be interested (a scary thing is that c(++) real time system are appearing now - they reinvent the wheel!), they may not have the manpower for such a project but have the experience. Also, many dedicated and embeded AdaOSes exist and the experience is there. A question: what is the compiler used to develop these OSes? The people that say that the project needs to show some code directed to the OS are rigth. The problem is who is going to do it. Who has the time and the knowledge to embark in this project? So, here comes the main question: what happened to Nick Robert. A leader or leaders (people to keep the project on the move) is needed. Nick is the one that created the project andnobody seems to know what happens to him (the administrator of the AdaOS site: Marcelo de Freitas doen't know himself. At last, there are plenty of people (like me) that play with Ada and do not have a clue in system/OS programming but would like to help. With a little bit of directive a lot can be done on the doc, code duplication,...side. *BSDs and Linux were able to take off because a limited number of people with the deep knowledge of OS internals gave to the following layer something to build upon. It looks that any free open project to develop through the web would have to follow this path. There are very good Ada name in the AdaOS project. The knowledge is here, something just has to be done with the coordination. That is the most difficult step in my opinion. Didier Utheza.