On Wed, 25 Mar 1998, Lane J. Bryson wrote:
[...]
>We each indicate three basic points:
>
>1. OS can be initiated and set up all these services itself.
>("bootstrapping." however, netware, for example, does this without
>bootstrapping per se.)
Your definition does not include a complete bootstrap. For instance,
under your defintion for the Linux "operating system", the system could
not communicate with the network because ifconfig--which isn't a part of
the kernel--cannot be invoked because /bin/sh--which isn't a part of the
kernel--cannot be invoked to run the start-up scripts that would employ
ifconfig because init--which isn't part of the kernel--doesn't exist.
Fsck coulndn't be invoked, mount couldn't be invoked (so no mounted
filesystems), /etc/fstab couldn't be used, etc., etc., etc., all because
they aren't part of the kernel. Without all of this, the system hasn't
completely booted. Unless you're going to redefine "bootstrapping", too.
You *are* aware that the kernel itself invokes /sbin/init, right?
If the kernel *expects* and *requires* an external component, is not
that external component a part of the operating system?
A kernel without external components does not render a system operable.
A non-operating computer does not, by definition, have an "operating
system". When you can show me a computer with a Linux kernel--and
only a Linux kernel--installed that can, will, or even *may* do
something--anything--without the addition of external components
(e.g. init), then I'll accept your definition. But, in fact, all you'll
have is a hung system that is incapable of doing anything.
>2. Memory management (you include a filesystem)
Virtual memory is initialized via mount, not by the kernel. While the
kernel manages virtual memory, it does not initialize VM without external
prompting and direction. Thus, without external components, portions
of your "operating system" are useless and unavailable.
>3. Peripheral management and I/O
But the kernel doesn't configure hardware without prompting from an
external control. Without external components, those peripherals are
useless and likely unavailable. For instance, without a filesystem,
/dev/modem or /dev/cua0 are unavailable to applications. Without tools
to create and manage filesystems, there can *be* no filesystems. Those
tools are not part of the kernel.
--
Steve Coile
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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