New Faster Method for embedded
Forum: DSL Embedded
Topic: New Faster Method for embedded
started by: AwPhuch
Posted by AwPhuch on Sep. 29 2005,16:42
I just found this link..it appears that instead of using an emulator it has a special built kernel, unfortunately it cant run "standard" distros..however it can run KNOPPIX (which DSL is based off of...
| Quote | | Cooperative Linux is the first working free and open source method for optimally running Linux on Microsoft Windows natively. More generally, Cooperative Linux (short-named coLinux) is a port of the < Linux kernel > that allows it to run cooperatively alongside another operating system on a single machine. For instance, it allows one to freely run Linux on Windows 2000/XP, without using a commercial PC virtualization software such as VMware, in a way which is much more optimal than using any general purpose PC virtualization software. In its current condition, it allows us to run the < KNOPPIX Japanese Edition > on Windows (see < Screenshots >). |
Perhaps a true "stand alone" version of DSL would be better than using qemu?
| Quote | How does it work
Unlike in other Linux virtualization solutions such as User Mode Linux (or the forementioned VMware), special driver software on the host operating system is used to execute the coLinux kernel in a privileged mode (known as ring 0 or supervisor mode).
By constantly switching the machine's state between the host OS state and and the coLinux kernel state, coLinux is given full control of the physical machine's MMU (i.e, paging and protection) in its own specially allocated address space, and is able to act just like a native kernel, achieving almost the same performance and functionality that can be expected from a regular Linux which could have ran on the same machine standalone.
Since coLinux uses the same binary format for user-space executables as native Linux, coLinux can load and run an existing unmodified Linux distribution concurrently with the host OS.
Hardware virtualization
To cooperatively share hardware with the host operating system, coLinux does not access I/O devices directly. Instead, it interfaces with emulated devices provided by the coLinux drivers in the host OS. For example, a regular file in Windows can be used as a block device in coLinux. All real hardware interrupts are transparently forwarded to the host OS, so this way the host OS's control of the real hardware is not being disturbed and thus it continues to run smoothly.
Portability
Unlike User Mode Linux, coLinux always utilizes only one process of the host OS for all its Linux processes, privately managing their scheduling, resources, and faults in a manner which is contained and entirely independent of the way the host OS is implemented. In fact, coLinux only requires a very small set of commonly exported primitives from the host OS kernel in order to work, thus, it can be rather easily ported to run under any operating system, such as Solaris, or even Linux itself.
coLinux is being ported to run under ReactOS, a standalone Open Source Windows implementation.
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Let me know what ya think!
Brian
AwPhuch
Posted by WDef on Sep. 30 2005,17:39
FYI there's a fairly detailed write up on Colinux setup etc in the August '05 edition of Linux Magazine - it claims Colinux gives a fully-functional Debian running within Windows.
Posted by joer on Sep. 30 2005,21:02
Isn't colinux like deeply installed into Windows.
Which would not make for a very portable platform for DSL?
Posted by SaidinUnleashed on Sep. 30 2005,21:31
Dunno how deep it installs, but it is definately not as neat as the unzip-and-go qemu.
More efficient on CPU usage, sure, but less portable.
I like being able to run embedded off my usb pen~
-J.P.
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