From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Mar 31 11:26:23 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8EAFD16A4CE for ; Thu, 31 Mar 2005 11:26:23 +0000 (GMT) Received: from srv1.cosmo-project.de (srv1.cosmo-project.de [213.83.6.106]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B917343D48 for ; Thu, 31 Mar 2005 11:26:22 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from ticso@cicely12.cicely.de) Received: from cicely5.cicely.de (cicely5.cicely.de [10.1.1.7]) (authenticated bits=0)j2VBQGsf038268 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=EDH-RSA-DES-CBC3-SHA bits=168 verify=OK); Thu, 31 Mar 2005 13:26:17 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from ticso@cicely12.cicely.de) Received: from cicely12.cicely.de (cicely12.cicely.de [IPv6:3ffe:400:8d0:301::12]) by cicely5.cicely.de (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id j2VBPlhs012445 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO); Thu, 31 Mar 2005 13:25:47 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from ticso@cicely12.cicely.de) Received: from cicely12.cicely.de (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by cicely12.cicely.de (8.12.11/8.12.11) with ESMTP id j2VBPkmK002358; Thu, 31 Mar 2005 13:25:46 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from ticso@cicely12.cicely.de) Received: (from ticso@localhost) by cicely12.cicely.de (8.12.11/8.12.11/Submit) id j2VBPj3x002357; Thu, 31 Mar 2005 13:25:45 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from ticso) Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 13:25:45 +0200 From: Bernd Walter To: kamalp@acm.org Message-ID: <20050331112545.GB2072@cicely12.cicely.de> References: <20050331111307.72833.qmail@web52703.mail.yahoo.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20050331111307.72833.qmail@web52703.mail.yahoo.com> X-Operating-System: FreeBSD cicely12.cicely.de 5.2-CURRENT alpha User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.6i X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-1.5 required=3.0 tests=BAYES_01 autolearn=no version=2.64 X-Spam-Report: * -1.5 BAYES_01 BODY: Bayesian spam probability is 1 to 10% * [score: 0.0767] X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.64 (2004-01-11) on cicely12.cicely.de cc: hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: So, who makes this one run FreeBSD? ;-) X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list Reply-To: ticso@cicely.de List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 11:26:23 -0000 On Thu, Mar 31, 2005 at 03:13:07AM -0800, Kamal R. Prasad wrote: > > --- Scott Long wrote: > [snip] > > > > An MMU-less port of any BSD would be very > > worthwhile, even if it > > requires a radical divergence from the original > > codebase. I was > > woudn''t it be rather inefficient (in the BEST case) > -handling numerous memory contextx -1 per process? > > > hoping that such a treat would appear out of NetBSD, > > but that doesn't > > seem to be the case. > > > > Scott > > They have taken a conscious decision not to work in > that direction -as it would screw up their overall s/w > architecture in accomodating that port [if they do > manage to get a non-mmu port ready]. There is no doubt that this would be better as a complete split off. It is even the question if you want to start by using an established BSD or start from zero and import. However - I see limited use from this. The low end doesn't need posix API, process management and runs with very simple hardware. E.g. you can get ARMv7 CPUs with internal RAM of up to 64k and I already run control systems with Ethernet and Webinterface on a 32K RAM 8 bit CPU - the memory is mostly populated by TCP buffers. If you want more then you need at least external RAM - prices get higher and finally your price is very close to ARMv9 and even smaller x86 Systems. -- B.Walter BWCT http://www.bwct.de bernd@bwct.de info@bwct.de