architectures that prevent freezing #mac

5.9: sci.cyb/mac/architectures that prevent freezing:
to: cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com
. in a pre-emptive OS there should be no freezing;
given the new concurrency model
that includes the use of the graphics processor GPU
to do the system's non-graphics processing,
my current guess is that the freezes happen when
something goes wrong in the GPU,
and the CPU is just waiting forever .
. the CPU needs to have some way of getting control back,
and sending an exception message to
any of the processes that were affected by the hung-up GPU .
. could any of Apple's developers
correct this theory or comment on it ?

helenOS built from scratch #microkernel

5.13: web.cyb/sec/microkernels/
helenOS/built from scratch:
5.15: summary:
. why is the helenOS crew constructing
yet another microkernel, when okL4 is here?
it's an academic project .
. anyway, we need microkernels,
and good competition is a good thing!
. that may be why Google Summer of Code is
funding some of it -- along with genode .
. see helen's wiki
and design papers .

microsoft's changes for an insecure internet

5.18:  news.cyb/dev.net/silverlight killed by html5:
subodhnpushpak 2011:

Microsoft Silverlight is an application framework
for writing and running rich Internet applications,
with features and purposes similar to those of Adobe Flash.
. it's being replaced by html5 .

. the cool thing about it was
programming the browser with ironpython
-- or any other .net language --
instead of javascript .

6.10: why:

. the .NET system was designed for competing with java;
the cool idea at that time was mobile code;
but since internet security issues have gotten so thick,
the cool idea now is either minimizing code installs
by using web services with an html interface,
or controlling app quality
with something like Apple's App Store .

. now that html5 offers a multi-media experience,
the .NET and SilverLight plug-in's
are being discouraged as unnecessary installs .
. some apps may seem slow in a browser,
and those will need native code
that should be policed by an App Store .

. to replace .NET's multi-lang feature,
here's how your favorite languages
can be turned into javascript:
# for Python code:
. use Pyjamas, a port of Google Web Toolkit.
# for C, C++, Objective-C:
. use the Emscripten LLVM-to-JavaScript compiler
(eg, if your translator emits Objective-C,
then it can be converted to LLVM byte code,
which can finally be converted to JavaScript ).

. given the move away from mobile code,
Microsoft has evolved from .NET
and its new language C#,
back to a popular language, C++
with Component Extensions, C++/CX .
. its syntax borrows from C++/CLI
but targets native instead of managed code.
. Apple went through such a phase also
when it dropped their new lang, Dylan,
for the popular lang, C,
with oop extensions, Objective-C .
. the .NET developer framework was part of
WPF (Win' Presentation Foundation),
and Silverlight was a .NET-powered flash competitor;
the new platform using c++/CX
is called WinRT (Win' Run Time).