[Sussex] LINUX takes on XServe

[Tony Dart]

On Wednesday, October 30, 2002, at 08:13 AM, Steve Dobson wrote:

> How can you only be part microkernel?  Either it is a microkernel
> or it isn't!  It's like saying she is not a pure woman.  If, and I will
> say at the moment that I know nothing of the kernel architecture of
> Max X, has taken much of its "underlying levels of the [BSD]
> operating system" then this a macrokernel.

And I agree - however, remembering the storm of protest that descended 
on Thos. Hardy's head when he subtitled Tess of the d'Urbevilles "A Pure 
Woman" I think you might want to check your analogy! Or the author of 
the Apple Guide (;-)).

However, micro or macro, it doesn't invalidate Geoff's point that a 
monolithic kernel is normally faster than a microkernel, presumably 
because of the clock cycles spent on passing the layers?

Apple's have never been renowned for blazing speed or stability or 
low-cost, so no real surprise in finding a foreign OS works faster on 
the same hardware.  Must admit I can't see any reason why anyone would 
buy an Apple X server over a Linux box, unless in a specialist field. 
Anymore than anyone earning their living in the graphics world using 
Linux rather than a Mac - horses for courses.

Tony