Development of Microkernels
Although Mach, developed at Carnegie Mellon University from 1985 to 1994, is the best-known general-purpose microkernel, other microkernels have been developed with more specific aims. The L4 microkernel family (mainly the L3 and the L4 kernel) was created to demonstrate that microkernels are not necessarily slow. Newer implementations such as Fiasco and Pistachio are able to run Linux next to other L4 processes in separate address spaces.
QNX is a real-time operating system with a minimalistic microkernel design that has been developed since 1982, having been far more successful than Mach in achieving the goals of the microkernel paradigm. It is principally used in embedded systems and in situations where software is not allowed to fail, such as the robotic arms on the space shuttle and machines that control grinding of glass to extremely fine tolerances, where a tiny mistake may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Read more about this topic: Kernel (computing), History of Kernel Development
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