[Techtalk] Theory vs. practice

[Kai MacTane]

At 1/15/02 11:08 AM , Val Henson wrote:
>:) I'm sorry - I realize that many of the best kernel developers don't
>even post on l-k.  When you see people who are pushing for (and have
>written the patches for) a preemptive Linux kernel, and these selfsame
>people don't understand priority inversion or think it is a
>problem... That's when I *fear* for the future of Linux.

Okay, I've just gotta ask: what *is* priority inversion? I suspect that 
when you explain what it is, it will become obvious why it's a problem, but 
if not, feel free to throw that in, too.

(In my own defense, I will point out that I am not a kernel developer, and 
so I hope it's okay for me to be completely ignorant of this thing. But 
there's no reason why I shouldn't learn...)

Thanks in advance.

                                                 --Kai MacTane
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"I hear the roar of a big machine,
  Two worlds and in between;
  Hot metal and methedrine.
  I hear your empire down."
                                                 --Sisters of Mercy,
                                                  "Lucretia, My
                                                   Reflection"