Re: kernel programming isn't so hard, but even so, reiserfs seems to be getting an "exokernel" imple

Theodore Y. Ts'o (tytso@MIT.EDU)
Fri, 25 Jun 1999 15:03:20 -0400


From: Hans Reiser <reiser@ceic.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 12:23:46 +0000 (/etc/localtime)

It's called porting the filesystem. It is as feasible as porting a
library when you have access to kernel source.

Having seen the difference in the adoption of, say, ipsec (which
required kernel hacks to implement) and SSL (which didn't), I can tell
you that there is a fundamental difference between saying "we just have
to port the library to another OS", and "we just have to port this
kernel change to another OS ---- and then force the user (who may not
have system administration privileges) to install a modified kernel".
This has nothing to do with whether or not you have access to kernel
source. Even with an Open Source OS, it is easier to install an
application which uses SSL than it is to install an application which
uses ipsec, since the latter requires changing your kernel.

And for some strange reason, application programmers are more likely to
use SSL (and other technologies which don't require kernel mods) to
ipsec (which does require kernel mods).

Just an observation.....

- Ted

-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/