UGN Security Forums UGN Security: Knowledge Base Operating Systems *nix & *nix Security Debian GNU/Hurd

http://www.linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=55

Description: The GNU Hurd is the GNU project's replacement for the Unix kernel. Note that this is NOT Debian GNU/Linux - it's Debian GNU/HURD, meaning it's based on a different kernel. It has fewer packages, and is in very early development. Use at your own risk.


Now the GNU has come up with some realy good products over the years. Anyone given this a shot? Any one care to? I think I will it this week and maybe write up what I think. Anyone know what the main differences are?

It souded pretty interesting. Here is the differences that I noticed from reading.

HURD Microkernel
Small, basic infrastructure, far less code involved, new features are module-like and not added into the kernel
LINUX Monolithic Kernel
Large amounts of code, larger, features are added into kernel which increases size, lowers speed unneccesarily, and introduces bugs.

The other comparisons seemed a little skewed to leave out linux capabilities, or perhaps like they said, when they started, linux wasn't anywhere near how it is today.

Another thing was
1] Users can replace system services
2] No mutual trust to make use of other services
3] Security on the system is not harmed by trusting user services.

Doesn't that seem like trouble? Still not sure how it works, didn't see in the hurd docs.

http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd-talk.html#the

I know this has been in development for some time now. I belive I heard of "Hurd" when I first started coming to UGN.

To my understanding Richard Stallman is upset Linus Trovald gets all the credit for Linux. It is true it should be called GNU/Linux. And the GNU provides most of the tools and programs people use. All Linus provided was the kernel. From what I heard his kernel was far from stable also. I just happened to be the missing piece.

So I excepect the Hurd Kernel is an attempt to get some well deserved credit back in the mind of Richard Stallman/The GNU people.

I do find it very intresting. The GNU has developemed many products that far exceed their comercial counter parts in quality over the years. One perfect example is the gcc compiler. Hear is a top of the line compiler offered for free. Similar versions that offer just as much can run you thousands of dollars.

Like I said I am going to give this a test and write up what I think. I am intrested to see what the compatability is to packages curently out for Linux.

Can you imaging,

BSD, Linux, Hurd,

3 open source kernels vs True Unix, Windows

OS X is based of the Linux kernel so comercialy that is about it as far as I know. Well BeOS but that is no longer.