C++ in the kernel

[Poul-Henning Kamp]

In message <472317D7.8010406 at incunabulum.net>, Bruce M Simpson writes:

>I could not find any reference to this discussion in a mailing list 
>search. I did read the article at: http://wiki.freebsd.org/K. It sounds 
>like a new and interesting approach to a C-like language (* see footnote).
>
>However, that was not the original topic of my thread, which is to gauge 
>interest for C++ runtime support in FreeBSD and if anyone is already 
>doing this.

One major problem I see about a C++ runtime, is that it puts even
worse constraints on our compiler situation, raising the bar
significantly for any non GPLv3 compiler we might consider.

K, as envisioned, has the opposite effect, it gives us a layer of
isolation from the backend C-compiler, a layer which we have 100%
control with, and can bend to our requirements, rather than have
to live with the sometimes arbitrary and often insensitive choices
by the GCC crowd.

Absent actual code for a K compiler, this is largely a philosophical
discussion with little applicability, but the strategic impact of
supporting C++ in the kernel should not be overlooked just because
of that detail.

-- 
Poul-Henning Kamp       | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
phk at FreeBSD.ORG         | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer       | BSD since 4.3-tahoe    
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.