Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: C++ in kernel (was Re: exception in a device driver) | From | Jes Sorensen <> | Date | 12 Jan 1999 09:56:25 +0100 |
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>>>>> "Chip" == Chip Salzenberg <chip@perlsupport.com> writes:
Chip> According to kwrohrer@ce.mediaone.net: >> It's the average programmers who will be writing the device >> drivers.
Chip> I disagree. How many Linux device drivers will there ever be? Chip> Maybe a thousand or two? Compare that number to the programmer Chip> population, and you'll see that it's not necessary to drop below Chip> the top one or two percentiles to find those who'll write the Chip> very best drivers.
At least for the m68k port we do have some problems finding developers for writing device drivers and other stuff - we have some good people but we could certainly use more. I am sure this applies for some of the other architectures including the x86.
Writing device drivers is hard enough as it is to get it right, though most people think it is harder than it really is and refuses to touch it because of this.
Introducing a new language which allows you to blow away your whole leg a lot easier and then putting `virtual' restrictions on what parts of the language people are allowed to use, as some people suggested with C++, will NOT make this easier. We need to use a language that a) makes it easy to write efficient code by letting the average programmer figure out easily what assembly will be generated (C++ does not do this) and b) does not allow people to shoot themselves in the foot and bloat the kernel by misusing some of the things in C++ which are utterly useless.
You are right that people can write nice code in C++, IMHO this basically means that you forget most about the crap introduced in C++ and write something closed to C. The problem with C++ is that people can start using all sorts of stupid things which _will_ hurt the kernel and we certainly do not need this!
Jes
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