DISQUS

All about Linux: Is Linux kernel getting bloated ? Linus Torvalds says Yes!

  • Cemil · 3 months ago
    Well if the godfather of of kernel says its getting bloated, there has to be some truth to it.

    I believe that the kernel must continue to evolve as innovation is key. However, this of course must be balanced with the right level of CPU, memory, etc, etc usage. No point in having a little more 'flashy' looking OS, or something similar if it defeats the purpose of the kernel.
  • hiero2 · 2 months ago
    Each new version of the kernel has provided markedly better hardware management. Or maybe that is the rest of the stuff you get with the kernel. I'm not sure I know enough to know. However, I DO know that the general usability of Linux has improved light-years over the last several years. And that is mostly to do with stuff "just working" out-of-the-box.

    So, if that is causing bloat, which I also can believe (I've been using GIGAbytes for linux installs now, not MB!), then perhaps the only option is the compile-your-own-kernel-on-your-hardware option. But that would mean recompiling every time you swapped a cd drive, or a sound card, wouldn't it?
  • markgobbin · 2 months ago
    hey what if there's a way to automate the recompiling of the kernel whenever you change hardware?

    sure it sounds wierd but you wouldn't change hardware all that often right? even if you swap out usb devices a lot, it would only need to do this when you add a new device, but after that you can swap as much as you like

    there should be an easy way to identify specific devices and perhaps auto-download drivers (which windows can't even seem do, so you'd get an advantage there if its possible?) as a habitual windows user ive found the greatest difficulty in linux is having to figure out run of the mill stuff like, yes, recompiling the kernel - so even if there were a process whereby i could get a driver and run a program that will recompile at the push of a button - i would not mind this so much, as you say it is only necessary when adding new hardware

    sorry if some of this doesn't make sense but regardless, i think it should be possible