I'm certainly not advocating a segmented scheme, the reasons,
not the least of which, are that it won't work to allow access
to more than 4GB.
>
> We have 64 bit CPUs available (cheaply) NOW. There's the Alpha,
> UltraSparc, and PPC (64bit version may not be "cheap" quite yet) at
> least. There is NO REASON to stick with 32bit Intel architecture if
> your requirements dictate over 4GB RAM in a system. Besides, you're
Tell that to a customer that wants (for whatever reason) an intel
system.
> Intel anal then the Merced is supposed to come out Real Soon Now. I'd
Merced has it's own set of problems, not the least of which is the
dearth of applications from ISVs.
> think that by the time any applications that REALLY needed over 4GB RAM
> were ported that the chip would be available.
The question is:
A customer has a choice of OS vendors for the Intel 4P box
with 64GB ram they have bought for 1/2 the price of an equiv
native 64-bit box:
1) NT (Which supports the PAE)
2) Unixware (Which supports the PAE a couple of different ways)
3) *BSD (Dunno PAE support)
4) Linux (no PAE support).
The customer wants to run oracle. Oracle can take advantage of
64 GB of ram under the first 2 choices, but not 3 and 4. Which
OS is the customer going to choose. Probably won't be linux.
If nothing else, implement the same API as Unixware does to get
application capture
>
> Given the horrendous rut the whole industry got stuck in by being
> forced into segmented architecture computers and the fact that we are
> still trying to "get out" of that rut once and for all, I would gladly
> support the "no segmented architecture in Linux" vote (if there was
> such a vote)..
I support it as well. I still believe you need to provide an API
to allow application access to the PAE memory. Can't use the segment
registers anyway for that purpose.
>
scott
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