Kernel Mode-Setting Coming To OpenSolaris

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Kernel Mode-Setting Coming To OpenSolaris

Kernel mode-setting has been in development for quite a while on Linux and was finally pushed into the Linux 2.6.29 kernel. Kernel mode-setting allows a clean, flicker-free boot experience, fast VT switching, reliable suspend-and-resume support, and there's also other benefits...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=NzIwMA

[RealNC]

"Linux guys rule, others drool"

KMS is too nice a feature for it not to be adopted by others.

[stan]

IBM should buy Sun soon, stop duplicating work

Seriously, why can't IBM just buy Sun out already and redirect efforts toward Linux development. This duplication of work between FOSS operating systems, where all features have to be reimplemented because of Sun's choice to release OpenSolaris in a GPL-incompatible license, is getting annoying.

[Pfanne]

why do some news open a new tab, when i click on the comments button and others dont?

[russofris]

why do some news open a new tab, when i click on the comments button and others dont?

Sometimes editors seem to use "phxcms_normal_format", other times they use "phxcms_navigation_format". The latter pops up the new tab. In the spirit of OSS, I implore you to click on "view page source" when questions like this arise.

F

[etacarinae]

Seriously, why can't IBM just buy Sun out already and redirect efforts toward Linux development. This duplication of work between FOSS operating systems, where all features have to be reimplemented because of Sun's choice to release OpenSolaris in a GPL-incompatible license, is getting annoying.

Yeah, the number of different operating systems is such a bad thing! Why can't all the *NIX lovers just ditch their favourite operating systems and get a job at Microsoft and start working on Windows 8, eh ???

And stan, you seriously would expect that all those OpenSolaris developers would magically want to work on improving Linux, they are on OpenSolaris precisely because they *like* OpenSolaris *more* than Linux. If IBM were to buy Sun, they have 2 options: A) keep OpenSolaris alive and hence nothing changes B) fire the OpenSolaris team as there is no incentive for IBM to keep the kernel devs to work on the Linux kernel (and they're OpenSolaris kernel specialists, not Linux kernel), they can get everything for free anyway.

Since you seem to be going for plan [B] I don't quite see how is that going to help Linux, other than just kill competition.

I've seen a number of people saying similar things to FOSS devs about *nix apps, "can't you stop developing for that operating system nobody uses and switch the development to Windows, the duplication of efforts between your project and project B which runs on Windows but doesn't have the features your program A has is just sooo annoying".

If you don't like OpenSolaris, good for you. But saying the same thing everytime a new post about OpenSolaris appears is getting really old now.

BTW: While you're at it: you probably should contact MINIX devs [http://www.minix3.org/], Apple[Mac OS X], *BSD devs, and etc. and make sure to let them know that their efforts are futile and they should all just use Linux instead. Apparently Google also accepted MINIX, DragonflyBSD, The FreeBSD Project and NetBSD for GSoc 2009, might be a good idea to contact Google directly and tell them that they shouldn't be sponsoring misguided efforts.

[susikala]

Yeah, the number of different operating systems is such a bad thing! Why can't all the *NIX lovers just ditch their favourite operating systems and get a job at Microsoft and start working on Windows 8, eh ???

And stan, you seriously would expect that all those OpenSolaris developers would magically want to work on improving Linux, they are on OpenSolaris precisely because they *like* OpenSolaris *more* than Linux. If IBM were to buy Sun, they have 2 options: A) keep OpenSolaris alive and hence nothing changes B) fire the OpenSolaris team as there is no incentive for IBM to keep the kernel devs to work on the Linux kernel (and they're OpenSolaris kernel specialists, not Linux kernel), they can get everything for free anyway.

Since you seem to be going for plan [B] I don't quite see how is that going to help Linux, other than just kill competition.

I've seen a number of people saying similar things to FOSS devs about *nix apps, "can't you stop developing for that operating system nobody uses and switch the development to Windows, the duplication of efforts between your project and project B which runs on Windows but doesn't have the features your program A has is just sooo annoying".

If you don't like OpenSolaris, good for you. But saying the same thing everytime a new post about OpenSolaris appears is getting really old now.

BTW: While you're at it: you probably should contact MINIX devs [http://www.minix3.org/], Apple[Mac OS X], *BSD devs, and etc. and make sure to let them know that their efforts are futile and they should all just use Linux instead. Apparently Google also accepted MINIX, DragonflyBSD, The FreeBSD Project and NetBSD for GSoc 2009, might be a good idea to contact Google directly and tell them that they shouldn't be sponsoring misguided efforts.

Aren't you being a little bit harsh here? His suggestion wasn't all that bad; there's also a lot of duplication in *BSD community, for example.

It's the same deal as was with Compiz and Beryl. Sometimes the whole fork culture just turns the people who do it into a laughing stock. Just because you -can- do something doesn't mean you have to. Forks are more than not a matter of ego (see OpenBSD). I'm not saying competition is needless, but sometimes the reasons are not justified and quite ludicrous. Maybe the BSDs never managed to become a real competition to Linux because those people's talent is getting spread like butter over too much bread.

I personally think the suggestion wasn't all that bad. A few more developers joining the development of Linux wouldn't hurt (especially if they're specialised in ZFS etc).

[etacarinae]

I'm not saying competition is needless, but sometimes the reasons are not justified and quite ludicrous. Maybe the BSDs never managed to become a real competition to Linux because those people's talent is getting spread like butter over too much bread.

I personally think the suggestion wasn't all that bad. A few more developers joining the development of Linux wouldn't hurt (especially if they're specialised in ZFS etc).

To you it might be a good idea because you use Linux, I use OpenSolaris, and I don't want it to disappear just because some people from the Linux camp want it so.

[kraftman]

Seriously, why can't IBM just buy Sun out already and redirect efforts toward Linux development. This duplication of work between FOSS operating systems, where all features have to be reimplemented because of Sun's choice to release OpenSolaris in a GPL-incompatible license, is getting annoying.

Similar situation is when comes to Open Source games, but who has right to say devs should cooperate and focus only on this or another game?

[stan]

Similar situation is when comes to Open Source games, but who has right to say devs should cooperate and focus only on this or another game?

Their Boss, the guy who pays their salary. I don't know about game devs, but if IBM tells Sun employees to dedicate their skills toward improving Linux that would be wonderful.

As for etacarinae's claim that OpenSolaris devs simply won't work on Linux because they don't like it, I think that is naive. First of all the skill sets for kernel writing are the same. And secondly, by participating in Linux development, they'd be able to shape the technical aspects of Linux to better fit their idea of the "perfect" operating system. And if that means bringing the good aspects of OpenSolaris to Linux (ZFS, DTrace, etc), than by all means, so be it.