[Info-vax] Kernel Transplantation (was: Re: New CEO of VMS Software)

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2024-01-11 22:29:42 +0000, Lawrence D'Oliveiro said:

> On Thu, 11 Jan 2024 15:51:26 -0500, Stephen Hoffman wrote:
> 
>> Why would anybody pick the Linux kernel for a transplant, over the 
>> other candidates?
> 
> Because it already has the widest support for available hardware, and 
> filesystems, and network protocol stacks, and security layers, and  
> virtualization/containerization technologies, and other legacy 
> emulators,  and other apps.
> 
> In short, it’s the place that will maximize your choices for other, 
> future migrations.

Little of that is applicable to a kernel transplant. For no obvious 
cost or staff or schedule savings. Worse still for the discussion, 
maximizing supported platforms and platform permutations maximizes 
testing and support expenses.

Why would VSI and their third-party vendors want to do (pay for) any of 
that?  And why would VSI want to do that atop the GPL'd Linux kernel?

VSI already have a working x86-64 kernel, and are presently working on 
layered products.

Approximately nobody is going to want to pay for and be testing OpenVMS 
and third-party and end-user apps across multiple platforms, either. 
Not without Rosetta-like transparency, and other assists. All of which 
is presently lacking.

Next OpenVMS port is conceivably to AArch64 or maybe RISC-V, and the 
start of that hypothetical port is a decade or more out at the 
earliest, and that port only happens well after that server hardware is 
well established, and as interest in x86-64 is declining. And that next 
port after x86-64 gets somewhat easier, should LLVM support be 
available on the target platform.

The market for OpenVMS x86-64 is tiny, and not known for high growth. 
The market for OpenVMS on a Linux kernel also available on "Alpha, ARC, 
ARM, C-Sky, Hexagon, LoongArch, m68k, Microblaze, MIPS, Nios II, 
OpenRISC, PA-RISC, PowerPC, RISC-V, s390, SuperH, SPARC, x86, Xtensa", 
cross-platform, etc., is even smaller.

TL;DR: Massive work. Distant future payback. At best. If at all.


-- 
Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC