Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 16:04:43 -0500 (EST) From: John Baldwin <jhb@FreeBSD.org> To: Garance A Drosihn <drosih@rpi.edu> Cc: current@FreeBSD.ORG, Geoffrey <geoffrey@reptiles.org>, Ruslan Ermilov <ru@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: Any ideas why we can't even boot a i386 ? Message-ID: <XFMail.20030227160443.jhb@FreeBSD.org> In-Reply-To: <p05200f25ba841e941541@[128.113.24.47]>
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On 27-Feb-2003 Garance A Drosihn wrote: > At 1:27 PM +0200 2/27/03, Ruslan Ermilov wrote: >>: RCS file: /home/ncvs/src/sys/i386/conf/GENERIC,v >>: Working file: GENERIC >>: description: >>: ---------------------------- >>: revision 1.296 >>: date: 2001/01/14 10:11:10; author: jhb; state: Exp; lines: +2 -2 >>: >>: Remove I386_CPU from GENERIC. Support for the 386 seriously >>: pessimizes performance on other x86 processors. Custom kernels >>: can still be built that will run on the 386. > > While there was good reason for removing i386 from GENERIC, that > does mean that someone "just wanting to try freebsd" on a i386 > may very well give up before realizing that it does (hopefully!) > work. > > For official release CDs, should we also provide a GENERIC_I386 > kernel, so the person can get up-and-running without having to > first build a new kernel? Or will they just run into other > problems once they get past the kernel, due to everything else > in the system being compiled for i486 & newer? > > I think we (developers) get a little too used to having multiple > machines around, and assume that everyone who might want to test > freebsd will have some hardware that works for the GENERIC kernel, > and which they can use to first do a buildkernel for the hardware > they really want to test freebsd on. > > I'm thinking maybe the 5.x release CD's should include: > GENERIC > GENERIC +SMP I plan to make SMP kernels work on a UP machine like they do on all of our other platforms thus obsoleting the need for this. > GENERIC +VMWARE-friendly settings This might be useful. > GENERIC for i386 I doubt the usefulness of this. i386 kernels were just accidentally broken for almost a month and a half without anyone noticing. People wouldn't have noticed if phk@ hadn't asked for a volunteer either. I386_CPU kernel compiles have been broken in the past for rather long periods of time before being noticed as well. > Would that add too much extra work for a 5.x release? You have access to the source, go for it. :) With cdboot, all you need to do is create a /boot/vmware/ directory with kernel (and maybe modules) in the ISO image and the user can break into the loader and type 'boot vmware' to boot it. src/release/* awaits your tested patches. -- John Baldwin <jhb@FreeBSD.org> <>< http://www.FreeBSD.org/~jhb/ Power Users Use the Power to Serve!" - http://www.FreeBSD.org/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
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