Re: VSTa

David Jeske <jeske@chat.net> wrote:

> On Tue, Apr 20, 1999 at 06:14:42PM -0400, Gavin Thomas Nicol wrote:
> > > approach. For instance, www.squeak.org is a very powerful Smalltalk
> > > implementation which might make a nice starting point for all
> >
> > Well, as much as I like Smalltalk, it's still too far "out there".
> > VSTa could get a lot of benefit from exploring some of the more
> > interesting things in QNX et al. I think.
>
> Really? Hmm.. I think I much more agree with Andy. While I don't know
> if I would use smalltalk, I think today's expanding problems with
> software and operating systems do not rely around which kernel
> orginization can get 4k/s faster I/O. Increasingly, desktop and
> embedded applications are built with commodity software systems
> sitting on top of whatever kernel is convinent.

Agreed. OS kernels (or even user-level environments) are mostly
considered interchangeable these days. Compatibility (i.e. does
it work in the first place, can you maintain it, does it interoperate
with what you have, etc.) is more important in most markets than even,
say, a 2X performance difference.

The only thing that will make a new kernel/user-level environment
take off is new fundamental capabilities people want PLUS sufficient
compatibility to what's already there to be useful in the non-critical
areas. Even that may not be enough if sufficient time passes to
entrench the expected approximate kernel interfaces. In that case
all "standard" apps will be written to about the same API.

BTW, I think Linux is taking off at least partly because it is so
much like the UNIXen that many are already familiar with and has
lots of software that people use (not desktop, but development/
engineering apps/code). If it was a truly new OS with what it
offers, it wouldn't have a chance.

> What interesting things in QNX were you referring to?

As a pot-shot, I'd say QNX does offer some interesting things,
but most of them that I know of (core is small & efficient, works
on embeddable systems easily, and can support network proxy for
some OS services) are insufficiently interesting given the lack
of compatibility with other user frameworks.

--
    Erich Stefan Boleyn                      \_         <erich@uruk.org>
  Mad but Happy Scientist                      \__    http://www.uruk.org/
  Motto: "I'll live forever or die trying"        ---------------------------