Submited by: Divyanshu

Chaturvedi
Content
• Linux Kernel
• Limitations of the Linux Kernel
• Mach Kernel
• What is Hurd
• Architecture
• Advantages
• Distributions
• Project Status
Kernel Linux

• Written in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, based on the

implementation of Andrew Tannenbaum UNIX called Minix.
• It consists of a group of programs running on the Linux
kernel which are written in a portable and based on the
POSIX 1 standard programming.
• Linux has about 200 calls a system, implemented in a vast
program called Kernel.
Linux Kernel
• Some of the calls which were performed by the Linux
kernel:
• File system interface (open, read, write, mount, ...)
• Handling processes (getpid, fork, exec, ...)
• Handling signals (sigaction)
• Pipes, sockets, Network Settings.
• Process planning policies.
• Shared memory and semaphores interface .
Kernel Linux
Limitations of the Linux Kernel

• The kernel code always runs with root privileges wide.

• The kernel environment is static and inflexible.
• Any change to the configuration of the kernel is restricted to
root.
• Every change made to the kernel requires a reboot the
system completely.
Mach Kernel
• Mach is an operating system kernel developed at Carnegie-
Mellon University (CMU) to support operating system
research, primarily distributed and parallel computing.

• Was developed with the premise that all modern operating

systems share some common characteristics are desired or
if you do not have them yet. These include:
• Multitasking and Multiprocessor support (local or
network)
• Threads
• Interprocess communication
• Memory protection and security
Mach Kernel

• Mach Microkernel explores the concept, rather than having

all the code in a single system, most of the code would be
located in smaller programs known as servers, which would
be implemented as any other program.
• The work of the kernel is reduced to the operating system,
keep the servers and set your access to the machine
hardware.
What is HURD?
• Hurd stands for "Hird of Unix-Replacing Daemons. " And,
"Hird"stands for "Hurd of Interfaces Representing Depth“.
• The GNU / Hurd is the GNU project's replacement for the
Unix kernel. The Hurd is a set of servers that run on a
microkernel, and part of the GNU operating system. It has
been designed with the intent to fix many of the
disadvantages of Unix.
• What are these problems? The arbitrary limits imposed by
the user: you can not do much without special privileges.
What is HURD?

• Hurd currently runs on GNU Mach, which provides the

following:
• Virtual memory management with an external paging
interface.
• Abastracción scheduling and thread (But the tasks are
still much lower than the POSIX process.)
• Interprocess communication using Mach ports.
• Drivers.
What is HURD?

• Mach does not contain any of the following:

• A network stack
• Signal handling Manejo de señales
• Pipes, Sockets
• POSIX processes, group processes and group
sessions.
• Support terminal.
Architecture
• Hurd be erected on top of a microkernel responsible for
providing most basic kernel services, coordinate access to
hardware, the CPU with hyperthreading, the RAM through
memory management and other probe devices, graphics
and storage.
• Hurd is running multiple servers simultaneously. Instead of
just a huge program to control all aspects of the machine,
Hurd, each of these tasks are performed using separate
servers.
Architecture
• Hurd servers, implements the functionality that is usually found in
the kernel of Unix servers using the following :
• The server proc means Mach task to a Unix process.
• The file server implements the file and directory operations.
There is a server for each mounted file system.
• The network stack is implemented by the server pfinet.
• The CPI Pipes and sockets are implemented by the server
pflocal.
• Authentication is handled by the server auth.
• Other servers: term, symlink, exec, crash, etc.
Architecture:
Advantages:
• Is free software
• Is compatible
• Is extensible
• Is stable
Limitations
• The maximum size is 2GB partition using the ext2 file
system, this restriction does not exist FAT16
• The drivers of the current version of GNU Mach under
version 2.0 of the Linux kernel .
• The accepted maximum memory is 768 MB, if you have
more need to use the GRUB option uppermem
• There is still no audio support, PPP or DHCP client.
Distributions that use HURD
• Debian
• Gentoo
• Bee
Project Status
• GNU Hurd, along with the GNU Mach
microkernel, the GNU C library and other GNU
programs and non-GNU operating system
provides a rather complete and usable today. Not
ready for production use, because there are still
many bugs and missing features. However, it
should be a good base for development and not a
mission-critical application.
Queries???