Microsoft To Move Graphics Outside OS Kernel

SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
edited December 2005 in Science & Tech
Microsoft will move the graphics for its next version of Windows outside of the operating system's kernel to improve reliability. Vista's graphics subsystem, codenamed Avalon and formally known as the Windows Presentation Foundation, will be pulled out the kernel because many lock-ups are the result of the GUI freezing.
The company has already announced to developers that most drivers, including graphics, will run in user mode - which means that they don't get access to the privileged kernel mode (or Ring 0). At this level, a process can do anything it likes, including overwriting memory that doesn't belong to it. The result of such overwriting by (usually) buggy code is often a system crash. So the move should result in greater reliability, because crashing drivers cause some 89 per cent of system crashes in Windows XP, according to Microsoft. When run in user mode, they won't be able to bring down the entire system.
Source: TechWorld

Comments

  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    Smart idea :thumbsup:
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    Getting closer to Linux every day.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    And then there was light at the end of the tunnel.

    I wonder if these graphics will be locked up, or if you'll be able to change theem out and mod the system more easily?
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    About damn time :D
  • PumalitePumalite Santiago-Centro
    edited December 2005
    some believe a Dinosaur can become a Pegasus.
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    Pumalite wrote:
    some believe a Dinosaur can become a Pegasus.
    Those people are usually on acid.
  • CammanCamman NEW! England Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    I bet a lot of issues being resolved are a direct result of the "Send to Microsoft" bug reports. Some people might not agree, but I mean if they can gather information like above saying that 89% of crashes are caused by locking drivers, I mean it must be helpful in isolating problems, so more props to them for that.
  • BLuKnightBLuKnight Lehi, UT Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    Two words for us programmers.. "Low Coupling". It's about time MS caught on.
  • stabfacestabface
    edited December 2005
    This means nothing to me except i have had my fair share of pulling the plug out the back of my windows machine to get to it to work again
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