[openbeos] Re: status of OpenBeOS
- From: "Ingo Weinhold" <bonefish@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: openbeos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 04 May 2003 02:10:48 +0200 CEST
"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
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