What this design provides is quite novel to the operating system world. Until now, OSs have kept huge portions of their functionality in the realm of system code, thus preventing its modification and extension except in extreme need. Users cannot replace parts of the system in their programs no matter how much easier that would make their task, and system managers are loath to install random tweaks off the net into their kernels.
Most microkernel OSs to date have mostly implemented a wider set of the same old Unix semantics in a new environment, along with the traditional Unix semantics restrictions and shortcommings. In contrast, OSHS semantics are designed to allow users to improve, bypass, or replace them.
In the OSHS, users can change almost all of the things that are decided for them in advance by traditional systems. In combination with the tremendous control given by the CHAOS kernel over task address spaces and properties, the OSHS provides a system in which users will, for the first time, be able to replace parts of the system they dislike, without disrupting other users. They will even be able to run completely different enviroments simultaneously without getting into way of each other.
Another advantage of the CHAOS design is that its interface is a subset of interface features available to traditional microkernels. Therefore the OSHS software can run with little or no performance impact on top of these microkernels.
And the greatest news are that this is not the end of the stream of stunning innovations that OSHS is going to bring to the users.