GNU Hurd

GNU Hurd is written in assembler and C kernel with a microkernel as a base. This implements file systems, network protocols, file access controls and other properties. The development of the kernel began in 1990 and is still going on, while you find the jobs created to develop utilities such as gcc, Emacs, and other large spread in the open- source community.

Concept

Hurd uses GNU Mach, an implementation of the Mach microkernel. 2002 an attempt was made to port the Hurd on L4 microkernel, this project was abandoned in 2005, however.

After the porting of Java on GNU Hurd as part of Google Summer of Code (2011) has been discussed to accommodate the system kernel in Debian Wheezy. The idea was later discarded.

The operating system components of Hurd run as separate processes (English: "server" ). The design of GNU Hurd operating system, most actions require no more privileges. This is achieved by device drivers, file systems, network protocols, and the like can be removed from the privileged address space of the system kernel and run as a normal user processes, so that they (theoretically) can not cause any damage to the overall system.

However, a process may receive special privileges to perform specific operating system functions. This concept offers a number of advantages:

  • Should a process fail in his duty, he can not bring readily to a halt the kernel.
  • Programs in user space are easier to debug.
  • Unless certain privileges are required, each user can set operating system components, for example to set up a separate file system. Since the corresponding operating system component then runs unprivileged, it provides no security problem Also, the user does not need to use the built-in functions of the kernel, but the service can even create at will, without the integrity of the system are thus affected can.

So-called Translator answer access requests to a mount point. This can be a single file or an entire directory hierarchy in the file system. This can benefit from the opportunities of Hurd programs without any special adjustments with the usual file operations. This is useful for example for low-level implementations of virtual file systems: The translator FTPFS provides run-time on the assigned file will be a directory (the difference between files and directories is in Hurd very low ), can be accessed like a normal directory; However, translated ftpfs the file operations in FTP operations that are sent to a server. This essentially corresponds to the functionality graphically oriented FTP clients where remote directories as local look ftpfs Hurd but allows normal programs like ls or cat on the remote server to act.

GNU Hurd distributions

  • Debian GNU / Hurd
  • Gentoo / Hurd
  • Arch Hurd

Name Meaning

In the name part Hurd (formerly also HURD ) of GNU Hurd is a complex recursive acronym, namely a ( two-stage) indirect, that in the first resolution HIRD of Unix - Replacing Daemons ( German: " herd Unix irreplaceable services") reads. HIRD HURD of interfaces in turn will Representing Depth ( German: "flock depth - performing interfaces " ) resolved. The above translation is not exact, but gives the meaning of both words art associative or on an onomatopoeic level again, because it is based only on the same ( here: not generally indistinguishable ) expressed Engl. Word herd ( German: Herd ). By Acronyms and onomatopoeic alienation two common among hackers traditions are used simultaneously.

License L4 microkernel family Daemon (computing)
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