Messages in this thread | | | From | Al Boldi <> | Subject | Re: Linux in a binary world... a doomsday scenario | Date | Thu, 15 Dec 2005 07:49:28 +0300 |
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Arjan van de Ven wrote: > On Thu, 2005-12-15 at 00:13 +0300, Al Boldi wrote: > > Greg KH wrote: > > > For people to think that the kernel developers are just "too dumb" to > > > make a stable kernel api (and yes, I've had people accuse me of this > > > many times to my face[1]) shows a total lack of understanding as to > > > _why_ we change the in-kernel api all the time. Please see > > > Documentation/stable_api_nonsense.txt for details on this. > > > > I read this doc, and it doesn't make your case any clearer, on the > > contrary! > > > > But first, your work to the kernel represents a not so dumb > > contribution, especially the replacement of devfs. Thanks! > > > > Now, to call a stable api nonsense is nonsense. Really, only a _stable_ > > api is worth to be considered an API. Think about it. > > a stable api/abi for the linux kernel would take at least 2 years to > develop. The current API is not designed for stable-ness, a stable API > needs stricter separation between the layers and more opaque pointers > etc etc.
True. But it would be time well spent.
> There is a price you pay for having such a rigid scheme (it arguably has > advantages too, those are mostly relevant in a closed source system tho) > is that it's a lot harder to implement improvements.
This is a common misconception. What is true is that a closed system is forced to implement a stable api by nature. In an OpenSource system you can just hack around, which may seem to speed your development cycle when in fact it inhibits it.
> Linux isn't so much designed as evolved, and in evolution, new dominant > things emerge regularly. A stable API would prevent those from even coming > into existing, let alone become dominant and implemented.
GNU/OpenSource is unguided by nature. A stable API contributes to a guided development that is scalable. Scalability is what leads you to new heights, or else could you imagine how ugly it would be to send this message using asm?
Thanks!
-- Al
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