GNU Hurd Is Working On Sound Support, Still Lacks 64-bit & Good USB Support

[phoronix]

Phoronix: GNU Hurd Is Working On Sound Support, Still Lacks 64-bit & Good USB Support

One year ago was a status update on GNU Hurd where it was mentioned that GNU Hurd lacks 64-bit, audio, and USB support among other features for this micro-kernel free software project alternative to the Linux kernel. Sound support for Hurd is now in the works, but other features remain missing...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=GNU-Hurd-FOSDEM-2016-Update

[reepca]

And we can call the Guix + Hurd combo "Gnu/Gnu".

[ElectricPrism]

I know I for one am a user of Linux/Gnu/wget/zsh/btrfs-progs/grub/systemd/openssh/avahi/NetworkManager/nvidia/nvidia-libgl/pacman/yaourt/package-query/gnome-session/samba/chromium and don't you dare marginalize the contributions of avahi and others by using the primary component to class and categorize dependencies!!!

Notice how GNU is listed first before Linux in GNU/Linux denoting devotion to Gnuism first, and Linuxism second.

At work I totally use Dot Net 4.0/Microsoft Windows/Firefox once in a while but I'm glad I don't have to use Cocoa/OSX.

[sbergman27]

The lightning speed with which GNU/HURD gets developed continues to amaze. A shining example of the power of the Free Software development model! Software at the speed of thought!!! LOL

[sbergman27]

And we can call the Guix + Hurd combo "Gnu/Gnu".

Considering that they are stealing so much Linux 2.6.32 code and porting it to their userland, we should probably call it Linux/GNU.

[tigerroast]

Did GNU ever release a statement addressing concerns brought up during their polling?

[Azpegath]

It would be awesome if some rich company like Google would hire two incredible OS developers and have them work on Hurd just for the sh*ts and giggles. To finally make it somewhat 'feature complete'.

[unixfan2001]

Hurd reminds me of that one episode of Futurama I recently rewatched.
Spaceship Hurd doesn't move, at all. The universe simply fluctuates around it.

At the current pace, I'll be done with my OS long before Hurd. And I'm only one guy, currently.
But hey. At least they'll have a beautifully worded license file re-assuring people of their "freedoms". That's all that counts anyways..

[Michael_S]

It would be awesome if some rich company like Google would hire two incredible OS developers and have them work on Hurd just for the sh*ts and giggles. To finally make it somewhat 'feature complete'.

To run in more than a virtual machine, it will need a truckload of device drivers. I think Hurd is GPLv3, and since the Linux kernel is GPLv2 without the "and future versions of this license" clause, they can't use the Linux drivers. Maybe they could adopt drivers from the FreeBSD project, if it's possible to build a compatibility layer between FreeBSD device drivers and the Hurd microkernel.

(Edit) I'm an FSF fanboy, and I understand why they made the changes to the GPL for version 3. But I do appreciate the irony that GPLv3 project developers may at times be able to use BSD and MIT license code but not GPLv2 code.

[ArneBab]

It would be awesome if some rich company like Google would hire two incredible OS developers and have them work on Hurd just for the sh*ts and giggles. To finally make it somewhat 'feature complete'.

Given that the Hurd was brought to the current state by a handful of volunteers in their spare time, that might actually suffice to get USB+sound+64bit working in one year.

The Hurd has been moving slowly but surely to weed out the last remaining blockers to enable more people to run the Hurd. The missing pieces were identified half a decade ago, and they are being tackled one by one. With this release, subhurds become accessible to unprivileged users.

To run in more than a virtual machine, it will need a truckload of device drivers. I think Hurd is GPLv3, and since the Linux kernel is GPLv2 without the "and future versions of this license" clause, they can't use the Linux drivers. Maybe they could adopt drivers from the FreeBSD project, if it's possible to build a compatibility layer between FreeBSD device drivers and the Hurd microkernel.

(Edit) I'm an FSF fanboy, and I understand why they made the changes to the GPL for version 3. But I do appreciate the irony that GPLv3 project developers may at times be able to use BSD and MIT license code but not GPLv2 code.

The Hurd is GPLv2 or later, for exactly this reason. They can use Linux drives, but they will have to replace them if they want to switch to GPLv3. Or use them as separate processes with a generic interface, which incidentally is just what is possible when running them in userspace.