Linux Kernel

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tuxpenguin8

Linux Kernel

Post by tuxpenguin8 »

The linux kernel is huge now, with millions lines of code inside it. But the kernel is getting to big for it's own good.

So why is this occuring. Does it have something to do with the monolithic design? (now with loadable kernel modules)

Thanks,
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xenopeek
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Re: Linux Kernel

Post by xenopeek »

Most of that is modules for hardware support. Like device drivers on Windows, except on Linux the device drivers are already included with your kernel.

What do you care anyway, you are only here till you find your courage to install OpenBSD--right? :)
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tuxpenguin8

Re: Linux Kernel

Post by tuxpenguin8 »

But both linux and BSD have monolithic roots. And one of the problems with monolithic kernels, is that they get way too big over time and hard to maintain. But now a days, both BSD and linux have loadable kernel modules, so they get the functionality of micro-kernels. I would use OpenBSD along side linux because linux is getting support from games companies, and is getting more support every day, and is alot easier to use, but OpenBSD I will use for security, and it's lower market share, will make it less worth while for developers to develop malware for it. So I would use OpenBSD along side linux, not in place of linux, because both are good at their own game.
Last edited by tuxpenguin8 on Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
eanfrid

Re: Linux Kernel

Post by eanfrid »

Pre-compiled distro kernels try to be compatible with the most (reasonable) complete list of hardware existing or from legacy. If you do not want such a generic kernel, you are free to recompile/optimize it for your own hardware by changing parameters and removing parts (I do). Since most drivers are compiled as modules (loaded if needed), you won't get tremendous results in size unless your hardware is a very specialized platform/appliance.
tuxpenguin8

Re: Linux Kernel

Post by tuxpenguin8 »

If the kernel has less stuff in it, that would make it smaller (pretty obvious), the code will be easier to find bugs in, there fore making the code more robust, that leads to less stability problems, and less flaws, meaning there is less for malware to exploit. The space saved could be used for thing that need to be in the kernel. and we will be able to intergrate security features in it, like OpenBSD has done.

In my opinion, the kernel should be and have the following things:

Thing that truely need to be in the kernel (eg: memory management, process scheduling, inter-process communication, etc)
The kernel needs to be Stable, so it is reliable
The kernel needs to be Secure, so malware isn't rampant
The kernel needs to have consistant and considerable Speed, so you can breath new life into old hardware, saving the environment and money
It should have integrated security features

But this is MY opinion, I call the things that the kernel should be, S3 (Stability, Security, Speed). This sort of satisfies everybody's needs. If it isn't stable, it will keep crashing. If it isn't secure, malware will be rampant. And if it hasn't consistant and considerable speed, no one will get any thing done. These are the things that the kernel should be, in my opinion. Lets take a look at Windows, you can't rely on it, malware is rampant, and it slows down over time, costing the consumer money. That why quite a few of us converted to linux. So if we reduce the kernel size, it will have better stability, security, and less flaws to exploit, and may even become more popular.
clfarron4

Re: Linux Kernel

Post by clfarron4 »

tuxpenguin8 wrote:The linux kernel is huge now, with millions lines of code inside it. But the kernel is getting to big for it's own good.

So why is this occuring. Does it have something to do with the monolithic design? (now with loadable kernel modules)

Thanks,
These days, it's mostly modules. The reason you hear stories of (predominantly Gentoo) users with absolutely tiny kernel setups is because some people take the time to strip out all the modules they don't need when they are compiling their kernel packages.

I maintain (currently) two packages in the ArchLinux User Repository, and the only thing stopping me stripping the config down is that I know I'll forget to post a generic config for the AUR.
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