Re: what's next for the linux kernel?

From: Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton
Date: Tue Oct 04 2005 - 16:16:09 EST


On Tue, Oct 04, 2005 at 12:47:25PM -0700, Marc Perkel wrote:

> The bootup sequence of Linux is pathetic. What an ungodly mess. The
> FSTAB file needs to go and a smarter system needs to be developed. I
> know this isn't entirely a kernel issue but it is somewhat related.

depinit. written by richard lightman. easily located with google.

on relatively inexpensive amd 2100 hardware, depinit results
in a startup time to console login of 5 seconds, and x-windows
in a further 3.


this is probably as good a time as any to mention this:

depinit on a 2.6 kernel has had to have a small script added which does
a sleep 3; kill -HUP <itself> - i.e. "kill -HUP 1".

if this is not done, then any child program that sends a signal to
process 1 is NOT SEEN.

richard believes the problem to be actually in the 2.6 kernel.

whilst /sbin/init only catches one signal, depinit catches quite
literally _all_ of them.

i'm relaying this from memory, so some of the above may be inaccurate.


> I think development needs to be done to make the kernel cleaner and
> smarter rather than just bigger and faster.

actually, on embedded systems the linux 2.6 kernel is bigger
and slower, which has prompted a large number of embedded systems
designers to stick with the [by now abandoned] 2.4 series.

> Marc Perkel
> Linux Visionary
^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^
wha-heeeeey !


my main concern, btw, is that by the time linux kernel developers
"receive hardware to play with", it's already too late.

the hardware decisions have already been made.

you - worthy as you are and the work you are doing is -
are treated as second class citizens by the companies
manufacturing hardware.

time to put the horse before the cart.

l.

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