Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S267505AbUIPA3H (ORCPT ); Wed, 15 Sep 2004 20:29:07 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S267819AbUIPA0e (ORCPT ); Wed, 15 Sep 2004 20:26:34 -0400 Received: from s-utl01-nypop.stsn.com ([199.106.90.52]:50127 "HELO s-utl01-nypop.stsn.com") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id S267505AbUIPAXK (ORCPT ); Wed, 15 Sep 2004 20:23:10 -0400 Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 19:22:31 -0500 From: Tommy Reynolds To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: monoholitic, hybrid or not monoholitic? Message-Id: <20040915192231.1153a0d4.Tommy.Reynolds@MegaCoder.com> In-Reply-To: <20040915141237.GB2429@teh.ath.cx> References: <4148271D.9050009@devilcode.de> <20040915141237.GB2429@teh.ath.cx> X-Mailer: Sylpheed version 0.9.12cvs7 (GTK+ 1.2.10; i686-redhat-linux-gnu) X-Face: Nr)Jjr, spake thus: > > the kernel were mostly descripted as monoholitic. but some sources means > > that the linux kernel is not really monoholitic because of the feature > > of loading kernel modules. > I'd tend towards monolithic because the modules (as mentioned) run in kernel > space. These discussions are taking the wrong viewpoint. The difference between "monolithic" and "modular" kernels refers to their *internal* organization, not a cosmetic *packaging* decision. Linux is a monolithic kernel because one kernel routine can call another directly, without intervention of any message passing overhead. Linux modules are simply packaging exercises that allow some code _not_ originally linked into the kernel image to be grafted into an executing kernel image. Once installed, kernel modules can reference other kernel resources with, again, a straight subroutine reference without any message passing intervention. All else is quibbling about the color of the ribbon used to wrap up the module code ;-) HTH. -- -- .---------------------------------+----------------------------------------. | Tommy Reynolds | Email: | | P O Box 62 | Phone: +1.256.227.1839 | | Danville, AL 35619 USA | Fax: +1.256.350.5099 | | Sr. Software Devel/RHCE | IM: HisDivShadow | +---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ | Ask MegaCoder.com For Answers! | '--------------------------------------------------------------------------' -- -- .---------------------------------+----------------------------------------. | Tommy Reynolds | Email: | | P O Box 62 | Phone: +1.256.227.1839 | | Danville, AL 35619 USA | Fax: +1.256.350.5099 | | Sr. Software Devel/RHCE | IM: HisDivShadow | +---------------------------------+----------------------------------------+ | Ask MegaCoder.com For Answers! | '--------------------------------------------------------------------------' --Signature=_Wed__15_Sep_2004_19_22_31_-0500_rwD_=wA08hQPfSL+ Content-Type: application/pgp-signature -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFBSNzY/0ydqkQDlQERAqFtAJ0aXO8Oii1MVoda1hQHFkpf5mNY5gCgtgdb HTgVkfpre/lbFSutDEvcwvs= =KsBi -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --Signature=_Wed__15_Sep_2004_19_22_31_-0500_rwD_=wA08hQPfSL+-- - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/