Libraries

[Michael David WINIKOFF]

> 
> *flame on*  This is the one assumption I completely disagree with!  IBM and
> Microsoft have made this assumption, and now you're *reccomended* to have 16MB
> of memory just to run OS/2 or Windows NT.  Sure, you can run with 4/8MB, but
> you'll be swapping from here to timbuktu. *flame off*

A pile of ashes.
Twin eyes blink in the pile.
<Cough, splutter> (clears dust from throat)
Ahh, you're  right ...

[I'd like to think that OS/2 and WNT failed because they didn't place the system
size as an important goal but this is a little naive ...]


Anyhow, I've more or less come to the conclusion that very small objects
(Eg. on the level of an array of primitive values) are unworkable.

Comments?

> 
> I can't tell if you want everything in one single file or everything in its
> own file...please explain your ideas more.  I just see the need for a logical
> way of dividing things: lots of relatively small objects (and functions and
> data items) go into a module to simplify management by the kernel.  Lots of
> modules can be placed into libraries to simplify management by the *user*.

I'd like to DEFINE a "file" as a (persistant) object that happens to 
support the 'usual' operations on files as methods.

> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Ok, so I'm not out to redesign every aspect of the concept of an operating
> system - I'm frustrated because it seems that's what we're trying to do.  I'm
> more interested in applying the concepts already in existence and developing
> something useful quickly instead of doing intensive research and testing of
> brand new ideas.  I'm not trying to re-write UNIX, but I'm also not trying to
> develop Amoeba (which has taken over 5 years so far).  What I want out of this
> project is something that is more *useful* to me than DOS or Windows, not
> something which takes the scientific world by storm.

Uhh, Dennis could you please repost this last paragraph in a separate mail
with anb URGENT tag and a "READ THIS" subject?

It's a much needed reminder, some of us ARE drifting of the track and trying
to be too ambitious (the technical term for this is reinventing the wheel :-)

> 
> 				Dennis
> 
> 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Winikoff
winikoff@cs.mu.oz.au
Computer science honours. University of Melbourne, Australia.