GNU/HURD is the name of the GNU operating system when TheHurd is used as the kernel.
The Hurd is a MultiServer MicroKernel POSIX-emulating operating system kernel, based on the Mach microkernel, although there has been talk about porting it to the L4 microkernel too.
Currently, TheHurd is not in a production-ready state yet, but you can still install it, if you just work a bit and already got linux working. You have to use Grub to boot (LILO doesn't support "Mach"), which is a good thing anyway.
You can follow also the instructions about Hurd on QEMU: http://www.bddebian.com/~hurd-web/hurd/running/qemu/
or use the Hurd LiveCD.
On Lenny the crosshurd package can be used to install the Hurd on a seperate partition. This works also within VirtualBox. Just create an fixed sized disk on virtualbox and boot with a Debian or Debian-based live-cd/ iso-image (like e.g. Finnix or Grml) and install crosshurd, create a partition not bigger than 2 Gigabyte with an ext3 file system and additional swap space. Mount it and tell the crosshurdscript the mount point - it will Debootstrap a first primitive system for you, after which you should follow the generic installation steps mentioned here: http://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/hurd-install . The hurd has no random generator necessary for the installation of the ?openssh-server. there is, however, a way to accomplish that: http://uwhug.org.uk/index.pl?Hurd_Installation_Guide .
What the name "Hurd" means
According to Thomas Bushnell, BSG, the primary architect of the Hurd, "Hurd' stands for 'Hird of Unix-Replacing Daemons'. And, then, 'Hird' stands for 'Hurd of Interfaces Representing Depth'. We have here, to my knowledge, the first software to be named by a pair of mutually recursive acronyms." (from the GNU HURD webpage)
Buildd
Buildd Requirements
Every once in a while, people ask why there is no second autobuilder running for hurd-i386, or they volunteer to set one up.
These are the requirements for a buildd:
- Must boot and run Debian GNU/Hurd unstable without major problems
The Debian GNU/Hurd buildd admin (currently MichaelBanck) must have full sudo access
- Must have networking, best via static IP
- Must be accessible via SSH (optionally via a frontend box) to the buildd admin
- Must provide a second partition as a building chroot with a real /usr directory
- Must allow sending mails to the buildd admin and ftbfs.de as the autobuilder
- Must allow receiving replies of those mails from the buildd admin and the Debian archive to the mail address of the autobuilder
- Must allow outgoing SSH to buildd.aurel32.net/port 22
- Must have some free harddisk space
- Should have a responsive local admin in case a reboot or other local maintenance is needed
- Ideally, should have between 350-750 MB RAM
To clarify on the mail requirements, build logs are sent by the autobuilder (<buildd@beethoven.theo.chemie.tu-muenchen.de> for the current autobuilder) after the build to the Debian GNU/Hurd buildd admin (currently <mbanck@debian.org>) and ftbfs.de for publically archiving the logs. The buildd admin will reply to the build logs and those replies need to reach the autobuilder (again, currently <buildd@beethoven.theo.chemie.tu-muenchen.de>). Additionally, mails from the Debian archive system need to reach the autobuilder.i
Issues
This is a list of archive building issues, i.e. things which affect more than package build and which are not toolchain problems (like PATH_MAX etc.)
- local sockets do not work in a chrooted environment.
External links
Debian Hurd homepage: http://www.debian.org/ports/hurd
Developer Resources
Savannah HURD page: http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/hurd
- OSF Mach docs:
OSF Mach docs (manpage format): http://www.grawk.net/~nick/docs/cmu-mach-man.tar.gz
Code browser (in progress): http://teleport.medri.hr/~docelic/hxr/http/search