True, linux is monolithic, and I agree that microkernels are nicer... As
has been noted (not only by me), the linux kernel is a miniscule part of
a complete system: Full sources for linux currently runs to about 200kB
compressed. And all of that
source is portable, except for this tiny kernel that you can (provably:
I did it) re-write totally from scratch in less than a year without
having /any/ prior knowledge.
I thought of redoing Linux with high-security engineering. Looked at a book on the kernel and some of the source. Decided against a one man rewrite.
Although, my first discoveries looking at prior attempts at highly secure UNIX (Data Secure, UCLA and Trusted Xenix) showed that securing UNIX with app compatibility was impossible or improbable.
True, linux is monolithic, and I agree that microkernels are nicer... As has been noted (not only by me), the linux kernel is a miniscule part of a complete system: Full sources for linux currently runs to about 200kB compressed. And all of that source is portable, except for this tiny kernel that you can (provably: I did it) re-write totally from scratch in less than a year without having /any/ prior knowledge.