[colug-432] Unix Is The Last Operating System

[Scott Merrill]

> 
> Of course, there will always be the need for some generic OSes.  I was 
> exaggerating a little when I said no need, but for many major 
> application systems, when does it get to the point to make more sense to 
> write to the hypervisor than to write to a specific OS?

Have you seen CoreOS or Project Atomic?

https://coreos.com/
http://www.projectatomic.io/

Both extend the notion of “Just Enough OS” (which you may be familiar with from Ubuntu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_JeOS).

The move toward containers is one step along the path I think you’re describing.

Personally, I trust the OS developers a little more than I trust application developers.  In my experience, system hardening, intelligent failure tolerance, and a whole lot more has been a bigger part of OS design for longer than it has been for applications. 

Yes, I’m making broad strokes, and yes there are a lot of robust applications; but holistic systems thinking is not often a trait I see in most application developers.  Hopefully the move toward containers will change that, such that applications are designed and built with a better understanding of security.

Cheers,
Scott