Re: master's thesis on hurd

[Neal H. Walfield]

At Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:58:07 +0100,
Ruben Pollan wrote:
> I'm student of computer engineering on spain. I'm about to finish my degree (5
> years of study). I have to do a master's thesis, I'm interesting on hurd and I
> think will be a good idea do something about hurd.
> 
> I don't have much experience on hurd, I just have user knowledge using a 
> Debian 
> GNU/Hurd. I have some knowledge programming on C, and about operative systems.
> 
> Can you give me some ideas about things that have to be done on hurd?
> 
> Thanks, and sorry if this is not the appropriate list.

I suggest you start by reading these two papers:

  A Critique of the GNU Hurd Multi-server Operating System
  http://walfield.org/papers/200707-walfield-critique-of-the-GNU-Hurd.pdf

  Improving Usability via Access Decomposition and Policy Refinement
  
http://walfield.org/papers/20070104-walfield-access-decomposition-policy-refinement.pdf

They highlight some of the problems with the Hurd and its underlying
design.  Specifically, we identify three general issues: resource
management, security and naming.  I'm doing work on the first in the
context of Viengoos (but it is designed to form a basis for the other
issues as well).  For an overview of resource management in Viengoos,
please read this paper:

  Viengoos: A Framework for Stakeholder-Directed Resource Allocation.
  
http://walfield.org/papers/2009-walfield-viengoos-a-framework-for-stakeholder-directed-resource-allocation.pdf

There are number of interesting projects both on the current version
of the Hurd as well as on as Viengoos.  When you have a better idea of
what sort of issues you want to tackle, feel free to write again.

Neal