Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S937631AbWLFVCa (ORCPT ); Wed, 6 Dec 2006 16:02:30 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S937638AbWLFVCa (ORCPT ); Wed, 6 Dec 2006 16:02:30 -0500 Received: from tmailer.gwdg.de ([134.76.10.23]:44206 "EHLO tmailer.gwdg.de" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S937631AbWLFVCa (ORCPT ); Wed, 6 Dec 2006 16:02:30 -0500 Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 22:00:55 +0100 (MET) From: Jan Engelhardt To: Norbert Kiesel cc: Arjan van de Ven , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: Why is "Memory split" Kconfig option only for EMBEDDED? In-Reply-To: <1165412195.5954.239.camel@titan.tbdnetworks.com> Message-ID: References: <1165405350.5954.213.camel@titan.tbdnetworks.com> <1165406299.3233.436.camel@laptopd505.fenrus.org> <1165407548.5954.224.camel@titan.tbdnetworks.com> <1165409112.3233.441.camel@laptopd505.fenrus.org> <1165412195.5954.239.camel@titan.tbdnetworks.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Spam-Report: Content analysis: 0.0 points, 6.0 required _SUMMARY_ Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 2268 Lines: 55 On Dec 6 2006 14:36, Norbert Kiesel wrote: >On Wed, 2006-12-06 at 13:45 +0100, Arjan van de Ven wrote: >> On Wed, 2006-12-06 at 13:19 +0100, Norbert Kiesel wrote: >> > On Wed, 2006-12-06 at 12:58 +0100, Arjan van de Ven wrote: >> > > On Wed, 2006-12-06 at 12:42 +0100, Norbert Kiesel wrote: >> > > > Hi, >> > > > >> > > > I remember reading on LKML some time ago that using >> > > > VMSPLIT_3G_OPT would be optimal for a machine with >> > > > exactly 1GB memory (like my current desktop). Why is >> > > > that option only prompted for after selecting EMBEDDED >> > > > (which I normally don't select for desktop machines >> > > >> > > because it changes the userspace ABI and has some other >> > > caveats.... this is not something you should muck with >> > > lightly >> > >> > Hmm, but it's also marked EXPERIMENTAL. Would that not be >> > the sufficient? Assuming I don't use any external/binary >> > drivers and a self-compiled kernel w//o any additional >> > patches: is there really any downside? >> >> I said *userspace ABI*. You're changing something that >> userspace has known about and was documented since the start >> of Linux. So userspace application binaries can break, and at >> least you're changing the rules on them. That's fine if you >> know what you're doing.. but in a general system... not a >> good default, hence the EMBEDDED. > >Thanks for the reply. I was not asking to change the default, I >just want to see the option in e.g. menuconfig. And the help >text already has a very strong advise to leave it at >VMSPLIT_3G. I have not had yet any problems with VMSPLIT_3G_OPT ever since I used it -- which dates back to when it was a feature of Con Kolivas's patchset (known as LOWMEM1G), [even] before it got merged in mainline. It only seem to break the VMware compilation process, but what they do in the makefiles is not really standard anyhow. >Anyway, I don't want to stress this further: I'm happy enough with my >Kconfig that has "if EMBEDDED" removed for the prompt. -`J' -- - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/