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Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2000 19:18:03 -0500
To: Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@mandrakesoft.com>
From: David Relson <relson@osagesoftware.com>
Subject: Re: Installing kernel 2.4
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
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It seems to me that kernel/cpu matching can be broken into two relatively 
simple parts.

1 - Put a cpu "signature" in the kernel image indicating cpu requirements; and
2 - Have the bootloader (lilo) detect cpu type and match it against the cpu 
"signature".

The bootloader would then load the kernel, or could give an informative 
diagnostic.

David



At 06:59 PM 11/7/00, Jeff Garzik wrote:
>Sven Koch wrote:
> >
> > On Tue, 7 Nov 2000, David Lang wrote:
> >
> > > depending on what CPU you have the kernel (and compiler) can use 
> different
> > > commands/opmizations/etc, if you want to do this on boot you have two
> > > options.
> >
> > Wouldn't it be possible to compile the parts of the kernel needed to
> > uncompress and to detect the cpu with lower optimizations and then abort
> > with an error message?
> >
> > "Error: Kernel needs a PIII" sounds much better than just stoping dead.
>
>I agree...   maybe we can solve this simply by giving the CPU detection
>module the -march=i386 flag hardcoded, or editing the bootstrap, or
>something like that...
>
>         Jeff

--------------------------------------------------------
David Relson                   Osage Software Systems, Inc.
relson@osagesoftware.com       514 W. Keech Ave.
www.osagesoftware.com          Ann Arbor, MI 48103
voice: 734.821.8800            fax: 734.821.8800

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