Re: 16 MB -> 32 MB, a memory problem resolved!
Andrew E. Mileski (aem@nic.ott.hookup.net)
Mon, 15 Apr 1996 14:42:49 -0400 (EDT)
> What I found out was that if I told the kernel I had 384 KB less
> than what I really had, the system would boot with nearly all of the
> available 32 MB of memory, and the external cache as well.
>
> I do not know why I cannot use the last 384 KB of memory. Maybe the
> hardware is relocating something it needs to upper memory. The point
> as I see it is that this kind of a problem demonstrates a variation
> in way that motherboards are designed. Linux needs to be able to
> work with as many of these different variations as it can if it is to
> be a successful operating system.
Some motherboards can relocate the 384k RAM that is leftover
from making the I/O hole at 0xa0000-0xfffff, but most can't.
What is worse, this feature _ONLY_ works with 16Mb or _LESS_
installed memory (on most mobos).
You should have this feature disabled. And get used to the
idea the 384k is lost. It isn't Linux's fault, it is a mobo thing!
Linux can't read your mobo manual for you (or the mind of the
mobo designer). For that matter, no OS can (especially not Windows).
-- Andrew E. Mileski --
mailto:aem@ott.hookup.net
http://www.redhat.com/~aem/