Re: [RFD] New driver system (was Adding new syscalls via modules)

Stephen C. Tweedie (sct@redhat.com)
Tue, 6 Jul 1999 16:56:31 +0100 (BST)


Hi,

On Mon, 5 Jul 1999 17:46:38 +0400, "Alexander Maryanchick"
<Sasha@GDev.msk.ru> said:

> I'm afraid to hurt somebody, but it's must be said:
> Linux extensibility is unacceptable poor. :-(

> While we spend time rewritting patches, M$ distributes drivers :-(.

Anybody who thinks NT's installable filesystem driver interface is
better than Linux's is living on a planet I'm not familiar with.

> I think, the lack of extensibility is a MOST important weakness of
> Linux kernel. We need to fix this problem. Do you agree?

> And now my proposal:
> 1. All critical kernel structures must be isolated.
> They must not be accessed directly from other kernel parts.
> 2. We must be ready to move the drivers to Ring1 and Ring2
> when hardware (Merced?) will be acceptable quick for this.

Say goodbye to performance.

> 3. New drivers must have rights to register new services
> (syscalls?)

They can. ioctls let them register arbitrary new auxilliary services.

> 4. New drivers must have an interface to be transparently intercepted.

It's called the "VFS". It works.

--Stephen

-
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/