>> 	I havn't seen anyone suggest yet that many of these systems
>> and modules could be moved into user space.... reducing the security
>> hole while retaining the functionality.

>How would this affect performance for our current modules? I know
>that Windows NT benchmarks noticably slower than NetBSD on various
>programs (such as web servers) because of the greater number of
>protection mode switches due to having large chunks of the kernel
>running as user processes.

To add further fuel to the fire...

NT 4.0 moved the GDI (Graphics Display Interface, or something like
that -- basically the graphics subsystem) into the kernel for exactly
this reason.  Apparently, it was just too slow being out in user-land.
NT versions prior to 4.0 had GDI as a user-space server subsystem.

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  Michael L. VanLoon                           michaelv@MindBender.serv.net
        --<  Free your mind and your machine -- NetBSD free un*x  >--
    NetBSD working ports: 386+PC, Mac 68k, Amiga, Atari 68k, HP300, Sun3,
        Sun4/4c/4m, DEC MIPS, DEC Alpha, PC532, VAX, MVME68k, arm32...
    NetBSD ports in progress: PICA, others...
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