Now: Understanding Muen and base_hw kernel from docs, [Earlier] Re: Problem with make run/demo ....

[Norman Feske]

Hello Shahbaz,

based on your response, I am afraid that you slightly misinterpreted my
explanation attempt.

On 17.04.2017 19:53, Shahbaz khan wrote:
>     VirtualBox closely interacts with the virtualization hardware. On Muen,
>     this interaction naturally has to go through the Muen SK. By using
>     Genode as runtime for VirtualBox, Muen is able to leverage Genode's
>     existing solution of the interaction of VirtualBox with a
>     microkernel-based virtualization mechanism.
> 
> 
> Similar to karma-vmm, fiasco.oc and l4linux.

I don't see the connection. My email was not related to Fiasco.OC,
Karma, or L4Linux.

>     Conceptually, a Muen partition is a hardware platform, similar to a
>     board. Like on any board, you can run software directly (in supervisor
>     mode). But for running a complex software stack, or more than one
>     application, one has to use an operating system (OS). Genode/base-hw
>     plays this role.
> 
> 
> Simply put a build time think. Base-hw kernel means muen sk for genode
> runtime.

Muen can be used without base-hw.

Base-hw can be used without Muen.

But when combined, Genode's version of VirtualBox can run on top of Muen.

>     Base-HW is unrelated to NOVA or any of the other kernels. It is a
>     microkernel specifically developed for and tightly integrated with
>     Genode. Think of it as an optional back end of Genode to run
>     Genode-based systems directly on hardware (or virtual hardware like a
>     Muen partition) without a third-party kernel.
> 
> 
> By the way it seems fiasco.oc is not being maintained. Is something
> better available, which supports both micrkernel based runtime and
> virtualization..?

At Genode Labs, we primarily focus on NOVA, base-hw, and seL4. All these
kernels are third-generation modern microkernels [1]. For using Genode
on x86 PC hardware, NOVA is the best way to go right now.

Genode is also able to run on Fiasco.OC but we don't actively facilitate
it. E.g., we dropped the support for L4Linux (Fiasco.OC-specific
paravirtualized Linux) earlier this year [2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microkernel#Third_generation
[2] https://github.com/genodelabs/genode/issues/2216

Regards
Norman

-- 
Dr.-Ing. Norman Feske
Genode Labs

http://www.genode-labs.com · http://genode.org

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