Kernel Stack Sizes

[Steve Brenneis]

On Wed, 2004-06-16 at 22:05, Peter Maas wrote:
> > I have downloaded the linuxant kernels and installed them. The nVidia
> > drivers and ndiswrapper work after a fashion. However, I just discovered
> > that the sound drivers in FC2 no longer work as well. As much as I would
> > like to reap the benefits of the 2.6 kernel, heigh-ho heigh-ho it's back
> > to FC1 I go. Or maybe I'll try Mandrake.
> >
> > Thanks for your time.
> 
> This is not a Mandrake, Redhat, Fedora, Suse, etc issue here, this is a,
> After vanilla kernel 2.6.6, 4K stacks are enforced, Linus has spoken from on
> high, the discussion about it being in the kernel is over. From this point
> on its all about bugfixes, if you find a problem, notify the person in
> charge of fixing it.

I understand all of this on a philosophical level and from the kernel
purist point of view. I guess my point is that the most beautiful kernel
in the world doesn't do anyone any good if it won't operate the hardware
that is being supplied with most of the systems being sold today. Isn't
it the responsibility of the distributions to provide a full O/S that
functions on as many systems as possible? Red Hat has certainly never
been shy about distributing modified kernels before now. That is more a
matter of survival than of purity.

Another point: Linux has made great strides with the hardware vendors. A
few short years ago, a company like nVidia would never have even
considered producing a Linux driver, binary or otherwise. Does it make
sense now to get up in their faces and say, in essence, "you will now do
things to suit us?" Remember, they have little or no incentive to do
anything for Linux.

I'm not advocating that Linux should dumb down for the masses and end up
being just another M$ Windows, but I think it is a wise team that
recognizes every user of their O/S is not interested in being a kernel
hacker. I have built my share of custom kernels to suit arcane hardware
and I have even written some device drivers myself, but I don't have
time to do that constantly and neither do the majority of Linux users.

Just my $0.02.

-- 
Steve Brenneis <sbrenneis at surry.net>