To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Path: forge.intermeta.de!not-for-mail
From: "Henning P. Schmiedehausen" <hps@intermeta.de>
Newsgroups: hometree.linux.kernel
Subject: Re: Is this going to be true ?
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 11:12:47 +0000 (UTC)
Organization: INTERMETA - Gesellschaft fuer Mehrwertdienste mbH
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mru@users.sourceforge.net (=?iso-8859-1?q?M=E5ns_Rullg=E5rd?=) writes:

>> comparing unices and Windoze, is the question "What is an operating
>> system"? Is the kernel the OS? Are the libraries part of it as well?

>IMHO, the operating system is whatever is reached through system
>calls, i.e traps.  MS seems to define it as whatever they bundle on
>the CD.

99,95+% of the computer users base out there tend to differ. This
makes your point rather moot :-) (To me, the "OS" consists at least of
the kernel, c standard library/ies with their support files and enough
infrastructure to start programs without having to hard code them on a
kernel boot line or in code. Which is at least /sbin/init and might
even contain a simple user command shell).

This definition could fit on a floppy, though. Might even fit on an
720k diskette. :-) Kernel + /sbin/init + busybox is IMHO an OS.

If you define "OS" at the syscall layer you end up with what we
started.  Two threads printing 1 0 1 0 1 0 on your screen.

	Regards
		henning


-- 
Dipl.-Inf. (Univ.) Henning P. Schmiedehausen       -- Geschaeftsfuehrer
INTERMETA - Gesellschaft fuer Mehrwertdienste mbH     hps@intermeta.de

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