4 ms·

Small and well-factored the core kernel may be, but if you're parsing fonts in kernel mode, you ain't a microkernel. ( https://googleprojectzero.blogspot.com.a

• nxc18 9y ago
  For sure, and Windows is not a microkernel, but it does have separated kernel-in-kernel and executive layers; it would approach being a microkernel architecture if the executive was moved into userland. This is similar to how macOS would be a microkernel, if everything wasn't run in kernel mode (mach, on which it is partially based, is a microkernel). Of course the issue here is that after NT 4, GDI has been in kernel mode; this is necessary for performance reasons. Prior to that it was a part of the user mode Windows subsystem. I'd be curious to see if GDI moved back to userland would be acceptable with modern hardware, but I suspect MS is not interested in that level of churn for minimal gain.