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Musings on what is a micro-kernel

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:48 pm
by ACcurrent
I may have posted this in the wrong forum but I just cannot decide what to call my OS - A microkernel, nanokernel or exokernel, or hybrid. So heres the stuff I have inside the kernel:

- Simple boot sequence
- Driver manager
- Event manager

Stuff thats in userspace:
Drivers (this includes video text mode driver.)
MMU
Multitasking
File system
Everything else
Could some one please help me decide whether it is a micro kernel or not so I can complete the docs?

Re: Musings on what is a micro-kernel

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:00 pm
by NickJohnson
That's definitely a microkernel in my book. I don't even export memory management or scheduling to userspace, and I still consider my system a microkernel.

Here's how I generally judge it: if I wanted to write a driver (block, filesystem, or otherwise) for your OS, could I do it completely in userspace without modifying the kernel in any way? If so, you have a microkernel. This just barely rules out things like FUSE, which require kernel modifications, but keeps basically anything that has the practical benefits of a microkernel, which is what matters in the end anyway.

Re: Musings on what is a micro-kernel

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:15 am
by CrypticalCode0
I wouldn't include the startup sequence in the kernel itself.

for the rest I can Completely find myself in line with ACurrent's list.

Re: Musings on what is a micro-kernel

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:29 am
by Combuster
Typically the components of a microkernel are limited to processor and CPU time management, memory management and event handling, for various opinionated definitions of those terms.

For instance to get a processor to do useful stuff you have to get the first program to run on it.

Re: Musings on what is a micro-kernel

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:05 am
by ACcurrent
I wouldn't include the startup sequence in the kernel itself.
Think practically like combuster! Any way thanks for the support, I think my kernel and docs should be out December 18th. :D

Re: Musings on what is a micro-kernel

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:51 pm
by wolfram
"microkernel" term considered harmful :)