Peter Köhlmann <peter.koehlmann@xxxxxxxx> espoused:
> Mark Kent wrote:
>
>> Linonut <linonut@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>>> * Tim Smith peremptorily fired off this memo:
>>>
>>>> In article <NEJmk.5818$rD2.1387@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
>>>> Linonut <linonut@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> > http://www.illuminata.com/perspectives/?p=347
>>>>
>>>> Basically, it uses Linux as a sort of super-GRUB to set up the hardware,
>>>> and load the ESX kernel, then the ESX kernel takes over. Then,
>>>> cleverly, to get a virtual machine running Linux, to use as a management
>>>> console, it uses that Linux to initialize a virtual machine.
>>>>
>>>> This is a very sensible approach. You are going to use Linux in a VM as
>>>> a management console, so you are going to have a full Linux on the disk
>>>> anyway. That Linux contains code to detect and initialize hardware.
>>>> So, instead of duplicating all that functionality in your kernel, let
>>>> Linux boot the hardware and set it up, then your kernel steps in and
>>>> pushes Linux aside.
>>>>
>>>> IBM did a similar thing in OS/2. After the BIOS loaded OS/2 and started
>>>> it, OS/2 would create a V86 task, and initialize that with the BIOS and
>>>> its state. Then, if you had hardware that OS/2 did not know about but
>>>> that the BIOS did, OS/2 would use that virtual BIOS to access that
>>>> hardware.
>>>>
>>>> Come to think of it, Windows 95 did a similar thing with DOS. DOS would
>>>> initialize the hardware, load Windows 95, then Windows 95 would
>>>> virtualize that DOS.
>>>
>>> Thanks for that summary and history, Tim.
>>>
>>
>> Windows 95 would virtualise the DOS? I don't think so.
>
> It did. Tim is right about that
Not as I recall.
>
>>> (Cue some jerk to call me a brown-noser for actually being nice to
>>> someone.)
>>
>> I think his final claim is just wrong. A "thunk" layer springs to mind,
>> although I forget the details.
>>
>
> A thunking layer is something different
>
I think you're confusing the dos window with the resident DOS 7.
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