FreeLists / openbeos / [openbeos] Re: status of OpenBeOS

["Ingo Weinhold" <bonefish@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Michael Phipps" <mphipps1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >Hi all :)
> >
> >I'd like to ask you developers about the status of OpenBeOS 
> >development.
> >
> >1) I see a lot of cvs commits for the kernel, and for the ppc 
> >platform too: does it mean that the NewOs kernel is ready for ppc 
> >platforms?
> 
> Axel got a free PPC box in exchange for porting the kernel.
> There is no promise to the general public that it will work or what 
> machines it will work on. :-)
> I certainly will not promise to support old PPC hardware or any new 
> Mac hardware. ;-/ Apple is just unfriendly.
> 
> >2) In your opinion, will it be possible to have OpenBeOS R1 ready 
> >for late 2004?
> 
> I don't think that I could take another year of "when will it be 
> done" questions. ;-)
> 
> >3) About multiuser support, for R2: there are a couple of types, 
> >the multiuser "a la Win98" (i.e.: different settings only for 
> >every user) and the secure one "the Linux way" (real multiuser 
> >mode) :)
> >I would even like to see the first one, but if we/you can get the 
> >second it would be much better :))
> 
> I would argue that way 1 is no more or less secure than way 2. 
> In fact, way 1 is far *easier* to secure than way 2.
> Think about it. For both you need real file system permissions (which 
> we have).
> For both, you need a secure log in mechanism (which we don't have).
> For way 2, you need to be absolutely sure that no process can 
> possible access the memory
> of any other process. The problem is that the BeOS design precludes 
> that (see clone_area).
> 
> The question that I always ask people who ask about multi-user is 
> this:
> Do you really forsee wanting to have multiple people log in to your 
> OBOS machine simultaneously?

Strong yes. I can't even provide a CVS repository on my machine, if 
simultaneous ssh connections don't work. I've been hoping for this for 
years...

> If so, what would they use for a client? OBOS? If so, then what you 
> want is really file sharing. 
> Remember that our focus is a *workstation* OS. :-) 
>
> >How many months of work would this require to the actual Kernel 
> >team?
> 
> Way 1? Nearly none.
> Way 2? Who knows? We would have to rethink parts of the API. It would 
> really all depend on what we want way2 to do. It would probably require 
massive work on the part of the media kit and app_server groups.

Life is hard. Sometimes satisfying solutions require much work.

CU, Ingo