Arch Linux

dhave

Arch Linux f@h Team Member

From: Outside the matrix.

Registered: 2005-05-15

Posts: 1,112

"Linux Unified Kernel"

Does anybody know anything about the so-called Linux Unified Kernel that's listed on Softpedia? I gather it runs in conjunction with Wine. Is it a significant enhancement to what Wine already does?

Here's the link to the Softpedia page: http://linux.softpedia.com/get/System/O … 5303.shtml

Here's the developers' website:

http://linux.insigma.com.cn/

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archlinuxsagi

Member

Registered: 2008-09-12

Posts: 259

Re: "Linux Unified Kernel"

It allows windows device driver to work in the linux kernel..
Maybe simiilar to ReactOS.
It is more at kernel level instead of user land with currently wine runs on.

LTSmash

Member

From: Aguascalientes - Mexico

Registered: 2008-01-02

Posts: 348

Website

Re: "Linux Unified Kernel"

I investigated a bit but couldn't undertand a lot (thanks to google translator)... so, is this a kernel fork that support Windows system calls and it also let's binary drivers to rn under Linux? What's the current state of the proyect? Does this really help Wine somehow?

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Proud Ex-Arch user.
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Currently on Kubuntu 9.10

Xauthority

Member

From: ../

Registered: 2008-11-03

Posts: 61

Re: "Linux Unified Kernel"

I think its more a kernel module + patched WINE.
see also http://forum.winehq.org/viewtopic.php?t … ied+kernel
Really nice project, but I hope that it will die fast,
because I dont really wanna have windows device drivers on any UNIX/UNIX like OS.

Ranguvar

Member

Registered: 2008-08-12

Posts: 2,549

Re: "Linux Unified Kernel"

@LTSmash:
(from the wiki, may be inaccurate)
    * fast
    * not caught to int3 traps
    * friendly with native applications (ex. exec)
    * will work with hardware related native Windows dlls
    * Windows driver framework will be implementable

@Xauthority:
Sure there are reasons to avoid Wine and similar software, but what you stated isn't really a good reason... there are annoying pieces of hardware out there that only have Winblows drivers. This is a way to get them to play nice with Linux, among other things. If you don't have any such hardware, cool, you're fine already. If you do, now you might have a way to use it.

As for the morals of this project, I think it's fine. As stated on the Wine project page:

"One undeniable fact exists: there is a vast software library that works with Microsoft's operating systems. Many of these applications already have Linux equivalents, however for most people there remains a handful of programs keeping them tied to Windows. Some of these programs have almost no chance of getting ported to Linux (e.g. Microsoft Office), others simply can't be ported because they've become abandonware (e.g. TurboTax 1999). Would I want to have Windows just because someday I may need to access an old tax program?

The fact that Wine exists won't prevent companies from porting their software, but having less than a few percentage points of marketshare will. Wine puts more free software into the hands of people who would otherwise not use it. In turn, history has repeatedly shown that larger marketshare leads to more commercial development. More commercial development has always led to more efforts to develop better free software equivalents."

Honestly though, I don't think such a drastic approach is necessary. The only real things I miss on Linux that I'd get on Winblows are the games, and native AviSynth... and those situations are getting better at a decent rate through Wine and increased market-share (for the former) alone. There's other specialty apps, but those are getting better, too. Adobe, for example, is IMO under heavy pressure to go cross-platform with their multimedia apps. I'm surprised they haven't already.