Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 14:33:44 +0930 From: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> To: "Carlos C. Tapang" <ctapang@easystreet.com>, John Birrell <jb@cimlogic.com.au> Cc: chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: What would it take to build the FreeBSD kernel into Portable Executable (PE) format? Message-ID: <19980930143344.H16936@freebie.lemis.com> In-Reply-To: <004901bdec35$62d17d40$0d787880@apex>; from Carlos C. Tapang on Tue, Sep 29, 1998 at 10:44:25PM -0700 References: <004901bdec35$62d17d40$0d787880@apex>
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[Format autorecovered at freebie.lemis.com] On Tuesday, 29 September 1998 at 22:44:25 -0700, Carlos C. Tapang wrote: >> Greg Lehey wrote: >>>>>> I thought it has decided that rewriting the FreeBSD kernel in >>>>>> Java was the more portable solution. >>>>> >>>>> This is very much a matter of opinion. Some say that Java's day is >>>>> past, and maybe we should use Perl, TCL or Guile. Despite the GPL, I >>>>> tend to Guile, and was planning to migrate the LISP version in that >>>>> direction. >>>> >>>> Just as long as the final code works on my microwave. >>> >>> The target machine is initially a Sunbeam TurboToaster 112S, and >>> you'll be pleased to know that I'm supporting the breadbun option >>> right from the first beta. I anticipate having microwave support a >>> few months later. Given the current lack of standardization in >>> microwaves, it's likely to be a bumpy path, but I'll do my best. The >>> web browser support will probably cause particular headaches. Which >>> model do you plan to use? >> >> Something that doesn't use gas. 8-) > > Funny. Probably more than 90% of the x86 world runs Windows. FreeBSD is a > very good system, but not even 1% of the machines worldwide run it. All I > want to do is make what's good in FreeBSD more acceptable to 90% of the > world. FreeBSD dressed up as Windows has a better chance of conquering the > desktop than FreeBSD by itself. You probably do not want to target the > desktop, but that's where the real battle is going on. Linux is not the > enemy, the enemy is much bigger: Windows; and your only chance of even > touching Windows is to look like it. Well, I'm afraid I have to disagree on a number of points. First, we're not by any means agreed that we want to win battles. Secondly, one of the big things wrong with Windoze is its look and feel. I don't think many people want to have that. Finally, I didn't see from your original posting (which I've now deleted) what your approach would do to make FreeBSD more like Windows where it counts. We can pretend to look like Windoze now with fvwm95. We can emulate a few (too few) Microsoft applications. What do we gain by changing the object format? Make no mistake, what John, Doug and the others have done to change FreeBSD from a.out to elf with almost no hiccoughs is little short of miraculous, as any Linux user will confirm. These transitions are painful, and I just don't see what advantage another one (going obliquely backwards) would be. Greg -- See complete headers for address, home page and phone numbers finger grog@lemis.com for PGP public key To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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