"Mike A. Harris" wrote:
>
> On Fri, 24 Mar 2000, Alan Cox wrote:
>
> >Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2000 17:40:48 +0000 (GMT)
> >From: Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
> >To: mharris@meteng.on.ca
> >Cc: Linux Kernel mailing list <linux-kernel@vger.rutgers.edu>
> >Subject: Re: VM modules in kernel?
> >
> >> I was thinking that faster VM speeds may be possible if the
> >> kernel can be tweaked more freely due to the GPL nature of the
> >> Plex86/bochs projects now.
> >
> >Remember something here. IBM tuned the hardware to this, and to an extent
> >they tuned the software on top of VM. They have a lot of cards to play that
> >Motorola m68K chips did but x86 does not.
>
> I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here Alan... My
> guess is you're taking VM to mean the kernel virtual memory
> system, when I'm meaning it to be "virtual machine". So my
> sentence really should read 'faster virtual machine speeds'. I
> remember a thread earlier this year on IBM tweaking the virtual
> memory system so I think that is what you're talking about..
Think Alan is refering to VM/ESA. It an OS that creates virtual machines.
In these virtual machines you can run almost any OS (including Linux) that
is coded for a S390. To make things fast enough IBM created microcode and
special instructions to support a virtual supervisor mode. ie
VM hypervisor (real supervisor mode)
guest os (virtual supervisor mode)
...
> If this is the case, then it is my mistake for using an unclear
> abbreviation. ;o)
>
> >Im hoping transmeta can manage to add a virtualised 386 mode to their chip.
> >Here's hoping they are listening ;)
I hope so too. This would be a very very nice thing to have. Of all the IBM
system I have used over the years VM/ESA is the nicest. I miss being able to
test new OS version in a virtual machine... I have worked more nights and
weeks since I switched to the Unix than I have while using IBM's VM.
> >In the Linux case we have another weapon (other than fear suprise and the
> >cuddly penguin) which is that we don't give two hoots[1] if the kernel running
> >on the hypervisor is not a normal x86 kernel. If it provides the APIs and
> >it runs x86 user space its fine.
>
> Hmm.. You've lost me a bit here.. Let me guess what you're
> getting at..
>
> The 'hypervisor' is a new term to me.. Are you refering to the
> Transmeta CPU and it's native mode? If I read you correctly
> here, then we could have a native VLIW kernel running on the
> Crusoe, which opens an x86 API to userland? Correct me if I'm
> wrong.
hypervisor, software and hardware that lets you run multiple virtual
machines (CPU(s), memory, devices (real and virtual)) under its control
all on the same real box.
> >Consider the user mode kernel as a more interesting starting point.
Luck,
Ed Tomlinson <tomlins@cam.org>
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