Re: Ada Microkernel?

["chris.danx" <chris.danx@ntlworld.com>]

> Hi group.
>
> I'm I Debian Hurd hacker, and am thoroughly disgustapated
> with the Mach sources. Recently I have been redoubling
> my efforts to use more modern languages such as Ada and
> Python in everything I do.
>
> Are there any sample microkernels written in Ada, perhaps
> for oskit?

Maybe MarteOS is a microkernel but i'm not sure.  It's not 100% Ada but the main
language _appears_ to be Ada.

> I think a kernel would ultimately really benefit from
> being written in such a robust language as Ada.

Nick Roberts thinks so too.  Check out www.adaos.org!

I too have thought of writing a microkernel in Ada and after the 11th June
serious work on this will begin.  Lot's of OS theory and design have been my
main focus so far.  My page holds two projects: one is willow a language
research project and _Sorcerer_ the OS development project.  There won't be much
up there now as i'm having to redraft and re-organise the site to accomodate
Sorcerer (who'd have thought editing HTML would take so long?).  If your
interested check the site on Monday or Tuesday by which time i should have
something substantial (and a little FS code too).


> I know this is way out of my league, but I'm sitting here dreaming
> about rewriting GNUMach in Ada.

Why is it out of your league?  How long have you been a programmer?  I've never
done anything substantial in hardware before (apart from some assembly but no
x86 pmode at all), but I'm determined to continue.

Sure it will be hard at first but it becomes easier as you go.  If you want to
make a new GNUMach written in Ada go for it.  All you really need to do is have
a compatible API and use the same workings underneath.  Provinding you do this
all written in ada it'll work.  It will take a long time (maybe years) to do and
you have to be sure it's worth the effort.



Chris Campbell
http://willowplan.tripod.com