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From: "James A. Sutherland" <jas88@cam.ac.uk>
To: David Woodhouse <dwmw2@infradead.org>
Subject: Re: Installing kernel 2.4
Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2000 18:24:36 +0000
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Cc: George Anzinger <george@mvista.com>,
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On Thu, 09 Nov 2000, David Woodhouse wrote:
> jas88@cam.ac.uk said:
> >  I think a default whereby the kernel built will run on any
> > Linux-capable machine of that architecture would be sensible - so if I
> > grab the 2.4.0t10 tarball and build it now, with no changes, I'll be
> > able to boot the kernel on any x86 machine.
> 
> I have four machines on my desk at the moment. The workstation is a dual 
> P-III. I suppose I agree that it might be nice if the kernel for that also 
> worked on the embedded 386 board. But it'd also be nice if it worked on the 
> Alpha and the SH boards which are also on my desk. How about putting the 
> whole lot into a single kernel image? It's the logical extension of what's 
> being suggested.

No. In the x86 case, it is a question of "do we deliberately restrict this
kernel to running only on a Pentium II in order to make it x% faster". My
suggestion does not duplicate any code, or (with a few exceptions) include any
redundant code for any platform (maths emulation, e.g., would be an exception).
Yours duplicates code, rather than just not optimising it as aggressively.


James.
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