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    SubjectRe: Unbloating the kernel, was: :mem=16MB laptop testing
    At some point in the past, I wrote:
    >> So I tried mem=16m on my laptop (stinkpad T21). I made the following
    >> potentially useless observations:
    [snip]
    >> I guess the upshot is "unbloating" the kernel wouldn't do much good
    >> anyway, since luserspace isn't in any kind of shape to run in this kind
    >> of environment anymore either.

    On Tue, Oct 14, 2003 at 01:44:31PM +0200, Marco Fioretti wrote:
    > Wrong. (please read till the end, this is not academic, but a real
    > call to arms!) Have a look at http://www.rule-project.org/en/,
    > specifically the pages: http://www.rule-project.org/en/sw/kdrive.php
    > (how we do without X, solving half of the problem)

    Hearing this is about the happiest I can be to be proven wrong.


    On Tue, Oct 14, 2003 at 01:44:31PM +0200, Marco Fioretti wrote:
    > http://www.rule-project.org/en/test/ (the kind of machines we must
    > work with) There are still a *lot* of lightweight applications giving
    > real functionality without bloat. Of course, they can make little in
    > these conditions if constantly swapped out from > the Kernel and/or X.
    > With 16 or 24 MB or RAM even half a meg less is very important. We at
    > RULE are doing what we can to select light GUI applications and test
    > them with kdrive, but have no expertise to look after the kernel.
    > Any help whatsoever in keeping 2.6 as light as possible, and to
    > recompile stock 2.4 kernels to lighten them is really needed.
    > The most important part of this is that it is not a programming
    > contest, just for the sake of it.
    > There are literally thousands of schools, all over the world, which simply
    > cannot afford any money on computers. The "HW is cheap" slogan is
    > very cruel when recited in places where 64 MB of RAM are one month's
    > salary. I am not kidding. All these schools have is donated computers
    > 5+ years old: even if they had the money they could not find spare parts
    > from them. After food, medicines and shelter a good education is
    > essential to make a decent living.
    > It is extremely embarassing to tell these students "you can do
    > without expensive MS SW, just find the money for a PC almost as
    > expensive as those which will run Windows". A lightweight Linux is
    > needed to many more people than the full featured one Thank you in
    > advance for any support,
    > Marco Fioretti, RULE project coordinator
    > PS: Oh, and while I'm at it, I'll even dare to ask for RULE network volunteers, see
    > http://www.rule-project.org/en/rule_by_email.php

    "$FOO is cheap" is a copout for sure; in the wrong country or for the
    wrong people the limitation to "performant" hardware is a lethal blow
    to usability. I'm not sure how to say how glad I am to hear of a direct
    attack on this issue.

    If you and/or your cohorts could inform us of kernel usability issues,
    especially with 2.6, I would be much obliged (all the more so for a cc:).


    -- wli
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