>At full functionality, there's nothing stoping any sysadmin from using
>the Hurd in *any* way they see fit, from RealTime applications to
>security, etc.
Hard (and soft, depending on your definition) real time operation of the
Hurd is impossible; there is no way to bound times and there is no
determinism. Fortunately, many users say "real time" when they really mean
"fast enough", which the Hurd can provide.
> When the Hurd can reasonably be seen as the best answer
>to the question at hand, it will gain in popularity - and I don't think
>that will be far off.
Again, this is only amongst the technically inclined. "It can do this
really cool under-the-hood thing." A less technical audience would not
care. They would ask "for my uses, how is this better than Linux?" and
there would be no clear, uniform answer.
I realize that most people in this list are hackers with a CS or EE (i.e.
technical) background, but there is a need to go beyond the
technically-oriented thinking and ask how the project will benefit other
people ... your wife, your kids, your church, the guy next door. Without
support from them, I fail to see how this project can become self
sustaining in the long run. Think about it; if half the kernel hackers
quit, would there be others to take their place right now? Would the above
mentioned people care?
