Re: Ada Operating System

["Pam Kelly" <al@adalinux.org>]

Nobody is going to want an operating system because it was written in a
particular language, but they might become interested in a language if they
can see it in a context in which they are accustomed to only seeing C.

(I don't think that anyone would want an operating system written to exploit
the best features of a particular language either. People want an operating
system that does what they want it to do.)

I don't think there's a conflict here. It depends what the object is.

If the object is to write a better operating system then write a better
operating system.

If the object is to show that you can write a better operating system in Ada
than you can in any other language, fine.

If the object is to try to improve the quality of the kind of software used
every day for ordinary business activities, particularly on the internet, so
that there are fewer faults and most importantly fewer security breaches
then one way of going about it is to first demonstrate that Ada is a viable
alternative on C's own territory.


"Marin David Condic" <dont.bother.mcondic.auntie.spam@[acm.org> wrote in
message news:a6nld6$i4n$1@nh.pace.co.uk...
> Rewriting the Linux kernel in Ada doesn't give anybody anything they don't
> already have. Why would they glom onto an Ada OS that was identical to a C
> OS if the C OS is more widespread, more mature, more supported, more
> developed-for, more understood, etc. etc. etc. etc.? That's just Ada going
> "Me too!!!" and there's no perceived advantage to grabbing a product that
> lags behind something else. Nobody (well, almost nobody) is going to want
an
> OS or any other software just because it was written in some specific
> language.
>
> If an OS is going to be built in Ada, its worth taking a look at it from a
> clean slate and doing it in such a way that it exploits the best features
of
> Ada. It also has to offer the computing world *something* it doesn't
> otherwise get by using someone else's product or there will be near-zero
> reasons to use it.
>
> MDC
> --
> Marin David Condic
> Senior Software Engineer
> Pace Micro Technology Americas    www.pacemicro.com
> Enabling the digital revolution
> e-Mail:    marin.condic@pacemicro.com
> Web:      http://www.mcondic.com/
>
>
> "Pam Kelly" <al@adalinux.org> wrote in message
> news:a6m8h5$rpb$1@helle.btinternet.com...
> > Hard to know which post to reply to but for what it's worth ...
> >
> > Linux has a huge following because it's free, there are masses of GPL
> > applications available for it and there are increasingly a very
> significant
> > number of heavy duty commercial applications available.
> >
> > So rewrite the Linux kernel in Ada. People might try it as a curiosity
> since
> > they'll be able to use all their existing applications. It won't be
> > frightening.
> >
> > Pick some applications with a long track record of vulnerabilities such
as
> > sendmail or bind. Rewrite them in Ada. There'll be more vulnerabilities
> > reported and the Ada versions will be immune. Publicise it.
> >
> > The security community will start taking an interest. Because it is
> > compatible with existing applications it's a viable os as it stands.
They
> > start to recommend an incremental move to applications written in Ada.
> >
> > Then you can substitute a new improved kernel.
> >
> > We're working on it. If you're interested let me know.
> >
>
>
>