Re: memory remapping, 4gb memory on 945gt

From: Dr. David Alan Gilbert
Date: Fri Jan 04 2008 - 13:19:40 EST


* Andi Kleen (andi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) wrote:
> felix-linuxkernel@xxxxxxx writes:
>
> > I recently put 4 GB of memory in my Acer Travelmate 8210 series
> > notebook. The BIOS only detects 3 GB.
>
> Actually it will detect 4GB, but put the PCI hole over the last GB.
> One way to get more usable memory is to configure the BIOS to use a smaller
> PCI hole (e.g. use smaller frame buffer/aperture etc.)

Unfortunately there are certainly some that don't make many options
for configuration and also use a vast amount; my Toshiba A100-306
uses an entire 1GB for the PCI space and has very little in the
way of configuration.

> > I googled around a little. It appears to be a chipset limitation of the
> > 945gt, which uses the fourth gig for devices.
> >
> > Now I can understand this explanation for 32-bit mode, but I'm running
> > in 64-bit mode. There should be a way to use the fourth gig under
> > Linux. Is there?
>
> The chipset limitation applies to 64bit mode as well as to 32bit mode
> (which actually does not have a 4GB limitation with PAE)

Note that some system and memory vendors have incorrect statements
stating that the 3.xGB limit is a 32bit OS issue on these machines
and it'll all just work fine on 64bit OSs.

Dave
--
-----Open up your eyes, open up your mind, open up your code -------
/ Dr. David Alan Gilbert | Running GNU/Linux on Alpha,68K| Happy \
\ gro.gilbert @ treblig.org | MIPS,x86,ARM,SPARC,PPC & HPPA | In Hex /
\ _________________________|_____ http://www.treblig.org |_______/
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/