diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'hurd.html')
-rw-r--r-- | hurd.html | 224 |
1 files changed, 224 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/hurd.html b/hurd.html new file mode 100644 index 00000000..b0eb9f80 --- /dev/null +++ b/hurd.html @@ -0,0 +1,224 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/strict.dtd"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> +<TITLE>The GNU Hurd - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)</TITLE> +<LINK REV="made" HREF="mailto:web-hurd@gnu.org"> +<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="hurd"> +</HEAD> +<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#1F00FF" ALINK="#FF0000" VLINK="#9900DD"> +<TABLE width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="15"> +<TR> +<TD COLSPAN="2"> +<IMG SRC="/graphics/hurd_sm_mf.jpg" ALT=" [image of the Hurd logo] "> +<br> +[ +<!-- Please keep this list alphabetical --> +<!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! --> + <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.cn.html">Chinese(Simplified)</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.zh.html">Chinese(Traditional)</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.nl.html">Dutch</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.html">English</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.eo.html">Esperanto</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.el.html">Greek</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.he.html">Hebrew</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.it.html">Italian</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.pl.html">Polish</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.es.html">Spanish</A> +] +</TD> +</TR> +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP" BGCOLOR="#eeeeee"> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/whatsnew.html"><STRONG>What's New</STRONG></A><BR> + <BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/changelogs.html">ChangeLogs</A><BR> + <br> +<a href="/software/hurd/docs.html">Documentation</a><br> +<P> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.html"><STRONG>GNU Hurd</STRONG></A><BR> + <BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/install.html">Installation</A><BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/help.html">Getting Help</A><BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/download.html">Source Code</A><BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/devel.html">Development</A><BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/history.html">History</A><BR> + <BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/gnumach.html"><STRONG>GNU Mach</STRONG></A><BR> + <BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/gnumach-install.html">Installation</A><BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/gnumach-download.html">Source Code</A><BR> + <BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/mig.html"><STRONG>GNU MIG</STRONG></A><BR> + <BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/mig-download.html">Source Code</A><BR> + <BR> +<A HREF="/software/hurd/related-projects.html"><STRONG>Related Projects</STRONG></A> +</TD> +<TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> +<HR> +<P> +<H3><A NAME="contents">Table of Contents</A></H3> +<UL> + <LI><A HREF="#introduction" NAME="TOCintroduction">Introduction to the Hurd</A> + <LI><A HREF="#advantages" NAME="TOCadvantages">Advantages of the Hurd</A> + <LI><A HREF="#name" NAME="TOCname">What the Hurd means</A> + <LI><A HREF="#status" NAME="TOCstatus">Status of the project</A> +</UL> +<P> +<HR> + +<H3><A HREF="#TOCintroduction" NAME="introduction">Introduction to the Hurd</A></H3> +<P> +The GNU Hurd is the GNU project's replacement for the Unix kernel. +The Hurd is a collection of servers that run on the Mach microkernel +to implement file systems, network protocols, file access control, and +other features that are implemented by the Unix kernel or similar +kernels (such as Linux). +<P> +Currently, the Hurd runs on IA32 machines. The Hurd should, and +probably will, be ported to other hardware architectures or other +microkernels in the future. + +<H3><A HREF="#TOCadvantages" NAME="advantages">Advantages of the Hurd</A></H3> +The Hurd is not the most advanced kernel known to the planet (yet), +but it does have a number of enticing features: +<DL> +<DT><STRONG>it's free software</STRONG></DT> +<DD> +Anybody can use, modify, and redistribute it under the terms of the +<A HREF="/copyleft/gpl.html">GNU General Public License (GPL)</A>.</DD> +<DT><STRONG>it's compatible</STRONG></DT> +<DD> +The Hurd provides a familiar programming and user environment. For +all intents and purposes, the Hurd is a modern Unix-like kernel. The +Hurd uses the <A HREF="/software/libc/libc.html">GNU C Library</A>, +whose development closely tracks standards such as ANSI/ISO, BSD, +POSIX, Single Unix, SVID, and X/Open. +</DD> +<DT><STRONG>it's built to survive</STRONG></DT> +<DD> +Unlike other popular kernel software, the Hurd has an object-oriented +structure that allows it to evolve without compromising its design. +This structure will help the Hurd undergo major redesign and +modifications without having to be entirely rewritten. +</DD> +<DT><STRONG>it's scalable</STRONG></DT> +<DD> +The Hurd implementation is aggressively multithreaded so that it runs +efficiently on both single processors and symmetric multiprocessors. +The Hurd interfaces are designed to allow transparent network clusters +(<I>collectives</I>), although this feature has not yet been +implemented. +</DD> +<DT><STRONG>it's extensible</STRONG></DT> +<DD> +The Hurd is an attractive platform for learning how to become a kernel +hacker or for implementing new ideas in kernel technology. Every part +of the system is designed to be modified and extended. +</DD> +<DT><STRONG>it's stable</STRONG></DT> +<DD> +It is possible to develop and test new Hurd kernel components without +rebooting the machine (not even accidentally). Running your own +kernel components doesn't interfere with other users, and so no +special system privileges are required. The mechanism for kernel +extensions is secure by design: it is impossible to impose your +changes upon other users unless they authorize them or you are the +system administrator. +</DD> +<DT><STRONG>it exists</STRONG></DT> +<DD> +The Hurd is real software that works Right Now. It is not a research +project or a proposal. You don't have to wait at all before you can +start using and developing it. +</DD> +</DL> + +<H3><A HREF="#TOCname" NAME="name">What the Hurd means</A></H3> +According to Thomas Bushnell, BSG, the primary architect of the Hurd: +<BLOCKQUOTE> +`Hurd' stands for `Hird of Unix-Replacing Daemons'. And, then, `Hird' +stands for `Hurd of Interfaces Representing Depth'. We have here, to +my knowledge, the first software to be named by a pair of mutually +recursive acronyms. +</BLOCKQUOTE> + +<H3><A HREF="#TOCstatus" NAME="status">Status of the project</A></H3> +<P> +The Hurd, together with the GNU Mach microkernel, the GNU C Library +and the other GNU and non-GNU programs in the GNU system, provide a +rather complete and usable operating system today. It is not ready +for production use, as there are still many bugs and missing features. +However, it should be a good base for further development and +non-critical application usage. +<P> +The GNU system (also called GNU/Hurd) is completely self-contained +(you can compile all parts of it using GNU itself). You can run +several instances of the Hurd in parallel, and debug even critical +servers in one Hurd instance with gdb running on another Hurd +instance. You can run the X window system, applications that use it, +and advanced server applications like the Apache webserver. +<P> +On the negative side, the support for character devices (like sound +cards) and other hardware is mostly missing. Although the POSIX +interface is provided, some additional interfaces like POSIX shared +memory or semaphores are still under development. +<P> +All this applies to the current development version, and not to the +last release (0.2). We encourage everybody who is interested to try +out the latest development version, and send feedback to the Hurd +developers. +</TD> +</TR> +</TABLE> + +<HR> + +[ +<!-- Please keep this list alphabetical --> +<!-- PLEASE UPDATE THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF THE PAGE TOO! --> + <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.cn.html">Chinese(Simplified)</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.zh.html">Chinese(Traditional)</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.nl.html">Dutch</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.html">English</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.eo.html">Esperanto</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.el.html">Greek</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.he.html">Hebrew</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.it.html">Italian</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.pl.html">Polish</A> +| <A HREF="/software/hurd/hurd.es.html">Spanish</A> +] + +<HR> + +<P> +Return to <A HREF="/home.html">GNU's home page</A>. +<P> + +Please send FSF & GNU inquiries & questions to + +<A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>. +There are also <A HREF="/home.html#ContactInfo">other ways to +contact</A> the FSF. +<P> + +Please send comments on these web pages to + +<A HREF="mailto:web-hurd@gnu.org"><EM>web-hurd@gnu.org</EM></A>, +send other questions to +<A HREF="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><EM>gnu@gnu.org</EM></A>. +<P> +Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc., +59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111, USA +<P> +Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is +permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved. +<P> +Updated: +<!-- timestamp start --> +$Date$ $Author$ +<!-- timestamp end --> +<HR> +</BODY> +</HTML> |