> Considering that nothing but bootsect.S itself uses syssize, the most
> straightforward solution to the problem seems to be to change the uni=
t
> of syssize from paragraphs to sectors, to increase the header version
> number in setup.S (not 100% clean, but the best approximation to a
> version number for bootsect.S we have), and to update the checks
> accordingly.
>=20
Hi Werner et al.,
how about dropping the boot and setup code from the kernel entir=
ely?
Just move the whole stuff to the bootloader (as it used to be =
done
with commercial Unices on PC's) and have it setup the whole 32Bit=
PM
environment, load the (possibly zipped) vmlinux binary (not necessaril=
y in
this order), pass the config options on the command line (or through =
some
reserved memory) and execute it.
Thus we would no longer need as86/ld86 to build the kernel (see the th=
read
about this topic) and building the kernel would be the same as=
on
SPARC/MIPS/ALPHA...
The next step then would be to merge MILO(Alpha), MILO(Mips), LILO and =
SILO
(Werner. we talked about that over dinner back at Linux-Kongress=
in
W=FCrzburg, remember?) into a common bootloader for all architectures=
=2E That
should make life a bit easier for the distributors and documenta=
tion
authors ...
Are there any _REAL_ problems that would prevent this?
Yours,
Dominik Kubla
--=20
Drug misuse is not a disease, it is a decision, like the decision to =
step
out in front of a moving car. You would call that not a disease bu=
t an
error of judgment. --Philip K. Dick. Author's Note, A SCANNER DARKLY, =
1977
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