[Info-vax] Intel proposal to simplify x86-64

[Simon Clubley]

On 2023-06-06, Scott Dorsey <kludge at panix.com> wrote:
> John Dallman <jgd at cix.co.uk> wrote:
>>In article <63a25e5a-2001-451b-b8a7-d6d9e74b02f9n at googlegroups.com>,
>>xyzzy1959 at gmail.com (John Reagan) wrote:
>>
>>> Other than an impact on the boot loader due to the change in 
>>> startup mode, it has essentially no impact on OpenVMS
>>> 
>>> OpenVMS does not use ring 1 or 2.  The 64-bit mode PTEs don't 
>>> include support for ring 1 or 2 today, just ring 0 and 3.
>>
>>Thanks, glad to hear it. 
>
> I'm not necessarily glad to hear it because I like the idea of keeping
> device drivers in a different ring than user processes or kernel....

Microkernels are a far better solution for that and have the major
advantage of conceptually being architecture neutral.

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.