Making a dynamically-linked root

[Gordon Tetlow]

On Mon, Jun 02, 2003 at 03:47:34PM -0700, Marcel Moolenaar wrote:
> On Mon, Jun 02, 2003 at 02:49:56PM -0700, Gordon Tetlow wrote:
> > 
> > Actually, it was a diskless boot, so it was in the system cache. =) I
> > know this is a rigged demo, but the point is the same, yes, it's slower,
> > but we also have a huge gain from going to a dynamically linked world.
> > It would also serve as encouragement to get things like pre-binding and
> > caching working.
> 
> Please do not rectify or relativate the performance loss of a 100%
> shared world by hinting towards pre-binding and/or caching. If the
> success of a 100% shared world depends on prebinding, then I suggest
> we abandon the attempt right here, right now. I don't think it is
> realized how big a wormhole prebinding really is.

I'm not saying we need either solution for a shared world to work.
I was trying to say that if people think that a shared world is
slow that it might cause someone to do something clever and get
pre-binding or the like working. Again, it's not strictly needed.

> I support a 100% shared world, but we should not abandon staticly
> linked /bin and /sbin. Let's just create the mechanics to allow
> one to choose for whatever reason one might have to choose one way
> or the other and let's make sure that we nailed it completely. I
> don't want to see any entries in UPDATING to overcome switching
> from one to the other or to describe the steps required to do a
> trivial source upgrade.

My hope is to do just that and make it as painless as possible to
switch. It's non-trivial and considering the easy with which foot-
shooting can commence, I hestiate to ask people to touch any of my
patches.

> I suggest we get the functionality in without actually changing the
> default. We can change the default anytime after that when we are
> confident that we covered everything and have understanding of the
> overall impact of switching...

I'm trying to provide options. I'm encouraging a dynamic world (and
think it's the correct solution for 5.2, esp if we are going to be
touting our NSS support).

-gordon
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