Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Wed, 8 Nov 2000 08:53:52 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Wed, 8 Nov 2000 08:53:42 -0500 Received: from cerberus.s2k.com ([204.176.206.253]:44551 "EHLO cerberus.s2k.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Wed, 8 Nov 2000 08:53:23 -0500 Subject: Re: Installing kernel 2.4 X-Mailer: Lotus Notes Release 5.0.3 March 21, 2000 Message-ID: Date: Wed, 8 Nov 2000 08:49:15 -0500 X-MIMETrack: Serialize by Router on WHQNTSE1/Infinium Software(Release 5.0.4 |June 8, 2000) at 11/08/2000 08:49:17 AM MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii To: Jesse Pollard From: Bruce_Holzrichter@infinium.com Cc: davej@suse.de, jmerkey@vger.timpanogas.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org > > On Wed, Nov 08, 2000 at 03:25:56AM +0000, davej@suse.de wrote: > > On Tue, 7 Nov 2000, Jeff V. Merkey wrote: > > > > > If the compiler always aligned all functions and data on 16 byte > > > boundries (NetWare) for all i386 code, it would run a lot faster. > > > > Except on architectures where 16 byte alignment isn't optimal. > > > > > Cache line alignment could be an option in the loader .... after all, > > > it's hte loader that locates data in memory. If Linux were PE based, > > > relocation logic would be a snap with this model (like NT). > > > > Are you suggesting multiple files of differing alignments packed into > > a single kernel image, and have the loader select the correct one at > > runtime ? I really hope I've misinterpreted your intention. > > Or more practically, a smart loader than could select a kernel image > based on arch and auto-detect to load the correct image. I don't really > think it matters much what mechanism is used. > > What makes more sense is to pack multiple segments for different > processor architecures into a single executable package, and have the > loader pick the right one (the NT model). It could be used for > SMP and non-SMP images, though, as well as i386, i586, i686, etc. And this would fit on my 1.4bm floppy so I can boot my hard driveless firewalling system, correct? - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/