| Site Navigation: Quick links: | Overview- What is Fiasco?
- Fiasco is a new µ-kernel (microkernel) running on x86 PCs intended to be compatible with theL4 µ-kernel for x86. It implements the L4 ABI as defined in the L4/x86 Reference Manual.
The Fiasco kernel can be used to construct flexible systems. We at TU Dresden use it as a base for ourDROPS system which supports running real-time and time-sharing applications concurrently on one computer. However, Fiasco is not only suitable for big and complex systems, but also for small, embedded applications. - What are Fiasco's distinctive features (i.e., buzzwords)?
- Fiasco is a preemptible real-time kernel supporting hard priorities. It uses non-blocking synchronization for its kernel objects. This guarantees priority inheritance and makes sure that runnable high-priority processes never block waiting for lower-priority processes.
When usingL4Linux on top of Fiasco, hard-real-time applications can share one machine with time-sharing (Linux) applications. Fiasco is a real, second-generation µ-kernel protecting applications in address spaces. Thanks to its efficient task and context switching mechanism and its performace-oriented design, the performance penalties induced by address-space security are neglible - much smaller than in older, first-generation µ-kernels like Mach. - Motivation
- The originalL4 µ-kernel for x86 has some shortcomings which we intend to fix with this new implementation. The Fiasco kernel:
- can be studied and maintained better because it has been written in a high-level language (C++)
- has better real-time properties than L4/x86 because it can be preempted at almost any time
- is freely redistributable under the GPL
Please see also the section, ``Why another kernel?,'' in the Fiasco FAQ. - Current release
- The current release is version 1.2. It is release-quality software.
This release is capable of runningL4Linux,DROPS, and many otherL4 applications. For details on Fiasco's L4 compatibility, please see thestatus page. - Availability
- Fiasco is freely available under theGNU General Public License fromthe download page.
For questions about other licensing variants,please contact us. - Developers welcome!
- Fiasco isOpen-SourceTM software; you are welcome to use it or join developing it.
Please consider subscribing to our developer's mailing listl4-hackers.The discussion language for this mailing list is English. Before posting to the mailing list, you may want to check out themailing list archive and theFAQ. - Reporting bugs
- To report a bug in the Fiasco µ-kernel, please use thel4-hackers mailing list. See the previous point for more information on this list.
Last modified: Mon Feb 28 2005, 13.57:48 CET |
