Linux is the cornerstone of modern computing, found in everything from smartphones to supercomputers. Its monolithic kernel architecture has served well, but as hardware evolves, so too must the software.
Multikernel Technologies, a company specializing in kernel architecture, has introduced a proposal that could significantly influence how Linux works. They've submitted a request for comments (RFC) to the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML), inviting community feedback.
The proposal is currently under review by Linux kernel maintainers.
Multi-Kernel on Linux: What to Expect?
Multikernel is a Linux architecture that allows multiple independent kernel instances to run simultaneously on a single physical machine. Each kernel operates on its own dedicated CPU cores and manages its own set of processes and memory while sharing the underlying hardware. This separation aims to improve isolation between workloads and increase system reliability.
A key feature of Multikernel is inter-kernel communication. The architecture uses a dedicated Inter-Processor Interrupt (IPI) framework, allowing different kernels to coordinate tasks or exchange information when needed. This ensures that while kernels are independent, they can still collaborate efficiently for certain operations.
The proposal also enhances kernel management using the existing kexec infrastructure. This enables multiple kernel images to be loaded and tracked dynamically, making it easier to start or stop kernel instances without rebooting the entire system.
As I said earlier, Multikernel is currently in the RFC stage, open for review and feedback from Linux kernel maintainers.
Beyond code, Multikernel Technologies has committed to publishing educational resources, such as explanatory videos, to help developers understand how the system works.
For more details, documentation, and source code, visit the official website.
Via: Phoronix
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Sourav Rudra
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