5 ms·

Having been quite interested in GNU/Hurd a long time ago (the years have become decades, I fear) and having lost track of the project, I wonder whether somebody

Having been quite interested in GNU/Hurd a long time ago (the years have become decades, I fear) and having lost track of the project, I wonder whether somebody can comment on where GNU/Hurd is being used nowadays.

ant6n 3y ago
Obligatory xkcd: https://xkcd.com/1508/ https://xkcd.com/1508/
- jbverschoor 3y ago
  The pre-iOS Android was a blackberry clone
  - b112 3y ago
    Did you just reply with random OS names? Android isn't iOS, the first release version looked and was nothing like Blackberry devices. (If you're making sense, clarity might help for me/others?)
    - orev 3y ago
      Google initially was working on Android as more of a Blackberry clone, and then when Apple announced iOS they realized that a full screen touch system was the future. So they scrapped the Blackberry clone OS and scrambled to get something more like iOS, which is what you’re now familiar with as the Android OS. This story has been floating around in various tech areas. Here’s a podcast about it: https://corecursive.com/android-with-chet-haase/ https://corecursive.com/android-with-chet-haase/
      - jbverschoor 3y ago
        Exactly. I remember the alpha screenshots. Although not many seem to somehow
      - deleted 3y ago
        [deleted]
    - chem83 3y ago
      OP is just saying that before iPhone/iOS was announced in 2007, there was an effort to build Android, but it was something that resembled Blackberries. After the iPhone was announced, there was a big project reset, which shifted Android to what eventually got launched in 2008. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/the-day-google-had-to-start-over-on-android/282479/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/the-d...
      - ant6n 3y ago
        And in the xkcd household Android was used starting in 2009, and some years later iOS. Seems consistent with history.
inawarminister 3y ago
I just read on info guix that they have a setting to use GNU/Hurd as kernel, maybe that could be fun virtualized.
duskwuff 3y ago
> I wonder whether somebody can comment on where GNU/Hurd is being used nowadays. Simply put: nowhere. It's an experimental kernel with limited hardware support (x86 only, very few device drivers) and a bunch of critical features missing (e.g. no multiprocessor support, no power management).
- Zambyte 3y ago
  > x86 only And limited x86_64 :)
  - duskwuff 3y ago
    I'm not sure how far that support even goes. There's one page on the wiki which claims that "A 64-bit GNU/Hurd is also coming soon", but all of the downloadable images are 32-bit only, and Git history suggests that it's still a work in progress.
    - Zambyte 3y ago
      I don't think this release technically includes the 64 bit support, but there is an image here: https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2023-05/msg00484.html https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2023-05/msg00484... that can supposedly get you a minimal Debian 64 bit system running on Hurd after some configuration. Also I just found that they have a directory for packages here: http://ftp.ports.debian.org/debian-ports/pool-hurd-amd64/ http://ftp.ports.debian.org/debian-ports/pool-hurd-amd64/ but none have been added yet.

ant6n 3y ago

Obligatory xkcd: https://xkcd.com/1508/ https://xkcd.com/1508/

jbverschoor 3y ago
The pre-iOS Android was a blackberry clone
- b112 3y ago
  Did you just reply with random OS names? Android isn't iOS, the first release version looked and was nothing like Blackberry devices. (If you're making sense, clarity might help for me/others?)
  - orev 3y ago
    Google initially was working on Android as more of a Blackberry clone, and then when Apple announced iOS they realized that a full screen touch system was the future. So they scrapped the Blackberry clone OS and scrambled to get something more like iOS, which is what you’re now familiar with as the Android OS. This story has been floating around in various tech areas. Here’s a podcast about it: https://corecursive.com/android-with-chet-haase/ https://corecursive.com/android-with-chet-haase/
    - jbverschoor 3y ago
      Exactly. I remember the alpha screenshots. Although not many seem to somehow
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
  - chem83 3y ago
    OP is just saying that before iPhone/iOS was announced in 2007, there was an effort to build Android, but it was something that resembled Blackberries. After the iPhone was announced, there was a big project reset, which shifted Android to what eventually got launched in 2008. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/the-day-google-had-to-start-over-on-android/282479/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/the-d...
    - ant6n 3y ago
      And in the xkcd household Android was used starting in 2009, and some years later iOS. Seems consistent with history.

inawarminister 3y ago

I just read on info guix that they have a setting to use GNU/Hurd as kernel, maybe that could be fun virtualized.

duskwuff 3y ago

> I wonder whether somebody can comment on where GNU/Hurd is being used nowadays. Simply put: nowhere. It's an experimental kernel with limited hardware support (x86 only, very few device drivers) and a bunch of critical features missing (e.g. no multiprocessor support, no power management).

Zambyte 3y ago
> x86 only And limited x86_64 :)
- duskwuff 3y ago
  I'm not sure how far that support even goes. There's one page on the wiki which claims that "A 64-bit GNU/Hurd is also coming soon", but all of the downloadable images are 32-bit only, and Git history suggests that it's still a work in progress.
  - Zambyte 3y ago
    I don't think this release technically includes the 64 bit support, but there is an image here: https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2023-05/msg00484.html https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-hurd/2023-05/msg00484... that can supposedly get you a minimal Debian 64 bit system running on Hurd after some configuration. Also I just found that they have a directory for packages here: http://ftp.ports.debian.org/debian-ports/pool-hurd-amd64/ http://ftp.ports.debian.org/debian-ports/pool-hurd-amd64/ but none have been added yet.