1 Apr
2004
1 Apr
'04
8:45 p.m.
Maybe some design concepts, but there was *no* code in
common.
That is all I (or rather, the book) is claiming. I am not implying that
they ever shared code.
No, the AIX kernel was *not* easily ported to other
architectures.
That's why OSF chose Mach for the OSF/1 kernel. I've been through the
AIX kernel source (used to work in Austin) and I can tell you it is
*very* specific to the POWER architecture. The VM (which permeates the
entire kernel -- address space is free) is welded to the POWER's MMU
design.
Well, I will have to go and find the book (which could take a long time),
but I am pretty sure it was a major design goal for that version (AIX 3, I
think?), and as I stated, was ported to other architectures that are
not very POWER. If the book is misleading - well, then I have been
misled. However, it is an official IBM document.
William Donzelli
aw288(a)osfn.org