On 02/01/2011 01:49 PM, Yury Bushmelev wrote: > 2011/2/1 Tim Bird <[email protected]>: >> From: wu zhangjin <wuzhangjin (at) gmail.com> >> >> Work on Tiny Linux Kernel >> >> ; Summary: Work on Tiny Linux Kernel >> >> ; Proposer: Wu Zhangjin >> >> == Description == >> >> Linux has gained more and more new features in recent years but at the same >> time increased the kernel image size bit by bit. The new features do expand >> the >> applications a lot but their increased size also limit the application of >> Linux >> in some specific places(e.g. Linux as bootloader, Damn Small Linux, small >> storage devices using old 2.4 kernel). Is it possible to elimiate or at least >> lighten this limitation? >> >> The answer is 'Yes' but also 'No'. 'Yes' means there were lots of works on >> reducing the kernel size, 'No' means more effort need to be taken to achieve >> the goal. > > I just want to say that this is very interesting proposal for us > (kexecboot project) :) >
I note my old rant about a "hello world" kernel: http://www.mentby.com/rob-landley/what-happened-to-linux-tiny.html Stripping down the Linux kernel by removing stuff is a red queen's race, running to stay in place. You need to be able start with a configuration that does essentially nothing, and then _add_ only what you need. (And that includes things like "do I really need the process scheduler, if I just have a blob of realtime code that fits in a kernel module and I want the system to do nothing but run that blob, monitor two serial ports, and talk to the outside world via netconsole.") I am reminded of the 2.2 kernel trick where people would bring up interfaces, set up routing and ipchains rules, and then intentionally panic the system (make init exit) so the process scheduler stopped... but the system was still responding to interrupts and thus routing packets. The general idea was "ok, the router's been lototomized and even I can't change the config without a reboot. Just TRY to break into it, I dare you." Rob _______________________________________________ Celinux-dev mailing list [email protected] http://tree.celinuxforum.org/mailman/listinfo/celinux-dev
