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: 103376,216b18d81cce4f75 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-06-03 04:49:45 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!skynet.be!newsfeeds.belnet.be!news.belnet.be!diablo.netcom.net.uk!netcom.net.uk!ldn-newsfeed.speedport.net!newsfeed.speedport.net!newspeer.clara.net!news.clara.net!news5-gui.server.ntli.net!ntli.net!news6-win.server.ntlworld.com.POSTED!not-for-mail From: "chris.danx" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada References: <3B183CB8.3EE396E7@engineer.com> <_M3S6.8957$HL5.1284411@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com> <3B1958AD.F7D7A5CC@engineer.com> <3B19CBAA.737F6216@engineer.com> Subject: Re: Ada Microkernel? X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Message-ID: Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2001 12:45:21 +0100 NNTP-Posting-Host: 62.252.152.243 X-Complaints-To: abuse@ntlworld.com X-Trace: news6-win.server.ntlworld.com 991568666 62.252.152.243 (Sun, 03 Jun 2001 12:44:26 BST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2001 12:44:26 BST Organization: ntlworld News Service Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:8035 Date: 2001-06-03T12:45:21+01:00 List-Id: > Ok, let me mull this over for awhile amd figure out what to do. > It seems to me like building a microkernel with Ada should be > a rather pleasant task. Except I want to make it plug and play for > Debian/Hurd, and I really want to use OSKit for my hardware > drivers. When i was wandering through the USENIX archives i stumbled upon a paper about something called Devil. I couldn't get the paper since i'm not a member but i found the homepage via google. Basically Devil is an IDL -- interface definition language -- for writing device drivers. It simplifies the task by allowing you to specify the interface and it will generate C code that follows the spec you give it. You may want to look at that instead of the OSKit, since it looks very simple and free of fuss. I can't experiment with it since they don't do windows but i think Linux and solaris are supported so you might want to have a go. The plan for sorcerer (my OS project) is that Devil will be ported to it (if the Devil source was available -- which it will be in a wee while (it's written in Caml) -- it should be quite easy to do this). I thought about writing a version that generates Ada code instead of C, but i'm waiting for the next release which should be along in a few months. Devil can be found at http://compose.labri.u-bordeaux.fr/prototypes/devil/ > Basically nobody except he really understands the new > Hurd microkernel. Sounds like a recipe for disaster! > I would like to change this. The Hurd is supposed to be the OS > for the rest of us. I think Hurd's kernel should be written in some > better language ( such as Ada ) so that it is easier to modify in > the future. > Have you tried Hurd yet? A 1Gb partition will get you going! > Download Hurd at http://www.debian/org/ports/hurd Haven't tried it yet, last time i wandered by it didn't look like much was happening at all. So now there's a microkernel, cool. I may look at it in the future, however i'm trying to avoid the design of other OSes at the minute so i don't just copy one of those. Is hurd a linux flavour, just microkerneled or is it something different? > Unfortunately, GNATS has not yet been ported to Hurd, but I > can attest to the platform's viability as I can boot Hurd and run > X11 and it really does work. Once more Ada folk start using it someone will do a port and then maybe more will. May take a while though.