Return-Path: <linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org>
Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand
	id <S281009AbRLUMl1>; Fri, 21 Dec 2001 07:41:27 -0500
Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org
	id <S281116AbRLUMlS>; Fri, 21 Dec 2001 07:41:18 -0500
Received: from mailout10.sul.t-online.com ([194.25.134.21]:14572 "EHLO
	mailout10.sul.t-online.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP
	id <S281009AbRLUMlM> convert rfc822-to-8bit; Fri, 21 Dec 2001 07:41:12 -0500
Subject: B is Bel? b is Barn? [was RE: Changing KB, MB, and GB to KiB, MiB,
	and GiB in Configure.help]
From: Juergen Sawinski <juergen.sawinski@mpimf-heidelberg.mpg.de>
To: "linux-kernel@vger" <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
In-Reply-To: <B51F07F0080AD511AC4A0002A52CAB445B2A26@ottonexc1.ottawa.loran.com>
In-Reply-To: <B51F07F0080AD511AC4A0002A52CAB445B2A26@ottonexc1.ottawa.loran.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT
X-Mailer: Evolution/1.0 (Preview Release)
Date: 21 Dec 2001 13:41:03 +0100
Message-Id: <1008938464.697.3.camel@nc1701d>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org
X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org

(Have a look at http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/outside.html.)

Strictly speaking, "Byte" is actually a prefix, too. A prefix of the
number "1" - however, a prefix with a context. "bit", "rad" and others
are not real units, they are more like "context descriptions" off the
number "1".

I think, the prefixes "...T,G,M,k,m,?..." should be taken, as they were
for a long time: context specific.

IMAO, if there is any sane way of defining this, it is by giving a base
as index (like the log function). In case of bit, Byte etc. -as they
already define a context- the base is always 2. In case of SI Base
Units, the base is 10.

But that's only my 0.5 Nibble cents/bit (oh, I mean Euro cents/bit).

George

P.S.: What's about using mole?

On Thu, 2001-12-20 at 20:27, Dana Lacoste wrote:
[...] 
> there is _no_ standard for what 1MB means.  There is a LOT of
> confusion, and most places will accept both
[...]

-- 
Juergen Sawinski
Max-Planck-Institute for Medical Research
Dept. of Biomedical Optics
Jahnstr. 29
D-69120 Heidelberg
Germany

Phone:  +49-6221-486-309
Fax:    +49-6221-486-325

priv.
Phone:  +49-6221-418 848
Mobile: +49-171-532 5302

-
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/