*BSD News Article 25419


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From: "Alex R.N. Wetmore" <aw2t+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.development
Subject: Re: Whats up with the OS/2 port of NetBSD?
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1993 17:34:31 -0500
Organization: Junior, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
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In-Reply-To: <pcbsdCIu94s.766@netcom.com>

Excerpts from netnews.comp.os.386bsd.development: 30-Dec-93 Re: Whats up
with the OS/2 .. by PCBSD D. Manager@netcom. 
> IBM is redesigning the internals of OS/2 to provide something similar
> to what Microsoft promoses for NT - subsystems.  Theoretically, the
> new OS/2 will have an ability to plug-and-use subsystems such as
> POSIX, DOS, etc.

Actually, IBM is using carnegie mellon's Mach system, which already has this
(it is a microkernel, which is what he is referring to when he talks about
"subsystems").  This basically makes a minimal o/s at the core layer (offering
multitasking/threading, memory services, and ipc), and have other operating 
systems (called servers) running on top of this.  These servers allow more
computer operating systems to run on top of the microkernel (even multiple
systems at one time).  For instance there are currently a BSD system and
an MS-DOS system running on top side-by-side (as well as other systems).  
IBM is porting their workplace o/s to this.

For more info you should read some of the papers on x29.mach.cs.cmu.edu.
the OSF is also using the mach MK in their microkernel o/s.

alex