Opened 12 years ago

Last modified 8 years ago

#419 new enhancement

HelenOS as a Genode platform

Reported by: Jakub Jermář Owned by:
Priority: major Milestone:
Component: helenos/unspecified Version: mainline
Keywords: gsoc12, gsoc16, gsoc17 Cc:
Blocker for: Depends on:
See also:

Description (last modified by Martin Decky)

Port the Genode Operating System Framework to HelenOS.

Details
The Genode Operating System Framework can run on top of several kernels, including Linux and several L4 variants. As SPARTAN (the kernel part HelenOS) is a decent and mostly feature-complete microkernel, there is reason to believe that the Genode Framework can be used (with proper adaptation) as an alternative user space for HelenOS or coexist side-by-side with the native HelenOS user space.

The level of integration between the native HelenOS user space and Genode can be varying and it is an integral part of the project to assess the proper design of the combined userland. There are several technical differences between native HelenOS user space and Genode (C vs. C++, communication style, etc.), but they can be bridged by various means.

What Gains and Benefits will this bring?
Using HelenOS as a new platform for Genode can benefit both projects. It can bring Genode to new processor architectures and can expose Genode to a non-L4 microkernel API, thus improving its universality.

On the other hand, HelenOS will be exposed to a new userland, which will test it under different type of load and give it new set of features, currently unsupported by HelenOS (e.g. a graphical user interface).

Difficulty
High
Required skills
A successful applicant will have good skills of programming both in the C and C++ languages and the ability to learn and modify the internals of HelenOS and Genode. Also good software design skills and experience is required.
Note
This is a cross-project topic with Genode.
Documentation
Possible mentors
HelenOS Core Team, Martin Decky

Change History (2)

comment:1 by Martin Decky, 12 years ago

Description: modified (diff)

comment:2 by Martin Decky, 8 years ago

Keywords: gsoc16 added
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