2007/6/2, Dinesh Joshi dinesh.a.joshi@gmail.com:
I dunno about Amoeba but I dont see Minix being used by businesses? I dont see it being put into PDAs, Missile Guidance systems or the Mars rover. Neither do I see it being used on Desktops, servers or <plugin whatever yuo like here> :) So what is practically more valuable? The Linux kernel or Minix?
You answered the question below. It is meant to be a learning tool that is why businesses don't use it. And now the target is changed to be a serious OS.
Minix may be an amazing "learning tool" but its usefulness ends there. Thats all I was implying. Linux has proved that all theories _cant_ be put into practice. Theres always a trade off between practicality, economic, technical, economic viability and theoretical superiority.
There are many other successful microkernel based OSes like QNX
see http://www.cs.vu.nl/~ast/reliable-os/ for the recent post by AST.
Even Andrew Tanenbaum basically imples the same. He is an OS researcher and will advance theories in OSs. Maybe one day they'll be put into practice and a true microkernel will be born.
Till then Linux will rule :)
The priorities of today has changed from that of 90s so lets wait and see.
Cheers Praveen