[openbeos] Re: openbeos Digest V2 #2
- From: "John MacGrillen" <Arc.Lites@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <openbeos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 13:55:24 -0000
Hi all,
This is my first post so try to be gentle.
First up I am only a dabbeler when it comes to coding, so feel free to
dismiss any and all comments below as ramblings from the lunatic fringe.
I think that using the Linux kernel is not a good idea. While it has
widespread support from across the industry, it's also hugely bloated. Most
Linux geeks will re-compile the kernel to optimise it for use on their
hardware. This is fine for said geeks, but for the average user? I think
not. A small, fast, light kernel with a good sellection of dynamically
loadable drivers should be the way to go.
Similarly I think X is a mistake too. Lets not forget even the GNU world
isn't that impressed with the performance and design restrictions it
imposes. The Berlin Consortium are hard at work trying to provide a viable
alternative.
This is going to raise a few hackles, but I also believe that trying to
provide binary compatibility with R5 is a mistake. If it happens, well
that's great, but why strive for it? Eugenia has pointed out some of the
pitfalls in the BeOS kernel, why would we want to build on that? At some
point a new kernel will have to arrive from somewhere, so why not bite the
bullet in the early stages? You could spend a lot of time getting the
various kits to work with the Be kernel, only to have to change it all again
to get them working with the new kernel. Lets not forget, Be were not afraid
to break binary compatibility in order to improve the OS, and if they were
still around today they would have to do so again to move to gcc3.
What's wrong with starting afresh, with a new kernel, along with Be's
original goals and APIs as your blueprint? You could argue that you want the
current apps availble for BeOS to run on it, but by the time OBOS comes out
with R1, most of the apps will be so old you won't want to use them. Hands
up those who can swear they will still be using GoBe Productive 2 on
BeOS/OBOS in a years time as their main work platform? If GoBe decide to
update the package they would have to recompile it anyway so where is the
harm? A 100% source compatible platform is a lot more useful.
As I said at the top I'm no kernel hacker, and you could view this as just
the rantings of the lunatic fringe, so feel free to shoot it down in flames.
JMac
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