Re: [Fwd: Re: Deva interface]

[R. Koot]

Ludovic Courtès wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Thu, Jan 20, 2005 at 07:24:34PM +0100, R. Koot wrote:
>
> > On any micro-kernel based OS you will need some kind of Name Service to 
> > find other services. (Task will do this in HURD, correct me if I'm 
> > wrong).
>
>
> In the Hurd, filesystems serve as a hierarchical naming service, once
> the system is up and running.  However, during bootstrap, the initial
> servers (i.e. those listed as GRUB modules) have to somehow know each
> other.  The initial L4 servers (sigma0 and the rootserver wortel) have a
> fixed pre-defined thread ID (see `booting.tex').  Further Hurdish
> initial servers (physmem, deva, root fs) have a thread ID which is
> defined at boot time by wortel (in wortel.c::setup_components ()).

Deva won't be a server :p. I think the problem of booting can be solved 
more easily. Since every drivers knows it's parent driver, they will be 
able to find eachother anyway. The main problem is letting applications 
find the drivers.

> Once the root filesystem is running, it may be used as a naming service.
> Still, the initial servers listed above are not registered in the root
> filesystem.  Rather, new tasks learn about them (i.e. get certain
> capabilities from them) when they are created (see the `exec' section in
> `posix.tex').

Is the filesystem integral to the HURD or only the POSIX personality? 
I'm actually interessted in creating a personality which uses an XML 
database as the 'filesystem', so I wouldn't need a POSIX style 
filesystem server. Ofcourse for the POSIX personality this would be 
great (abtracting devices to /dev and hopefully a slight more rich 
interface).

Ruud