On 2013-12-15 18:05 , Blake McBride wrote: > In spite of some really great ideas, I think we'd all agree that > Plan-9 has no real future.
I would not agree about that. If you would try to have a look at coming future tendencies, you would be notified that there is coming what is now named as "internet of things" where a lot of material objects in your environment will have very small chips which would like to communicate to each other and so on (there are already "scary" news about arrested china transport containers of electric-irons and kettles which have some extra less 1cm chip/device to listen for open wifi nets and spy on them or do whatever they are programmed ;) ). Another tendency which is not so clear now but it is also coming: computers/devices/systems/grids which perform actions being same time what is called interface-less (good example is your car which automatically identify you by sensors and wireless key/cellphone in your pocket when you touch cardoor and then system just unlocks that - lot of computations, communications and same time interfaceless). When you try to add these two tendencies to each other it would look like that the next generation OSes should be much close to Plan9/Inferno because it should easily cover connectivity and inter-communications of these grids of tens/hundred/thousands of chips/soc/devices per 10 cubic meters around you or worldwide (btw you can just read story about "bad bios" and suspect of ultrasonic communications). They(OS) should be simple regarding internal design. Parallel programming, computing/resource sharing, CSP, etc is highly required and should not be complicated as it is now in world of Unix/Linux/MS/Apple and should be possible to be programmed by individuals or small groups. Why not MS/Apple-like solution - because then such "nets" will be closed and not really manageable at all. Why not Linux - it is already over-sized and overcomplicated and highly resistive to design changes, so even an admin with 1meter beard cannot see all especialities of these such system/nets and cannot administering such grids manually. Also consider the security of these complicated systems as effect of simplicity of design of each part. Regarding Apps - Plan9/Inferno have "reverse" idea: instead of App to support environment where it has to run, it makes the environment to fit the App needs - much more productive, stable, manageable. It should be something simple, easy to join in swarm. Then interface part does not have such huge value - even if it is ms system with browser - this part does not play "key" role anymore. Plan9/Inferno or their derivatives now have great chance for resurrection aka phoenix, but not as your laptop OS with nicely drawn weather/news widgets or animated icons, though even this is possible. just my 2cents for what we may see next
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