From owner-freebsd-chat Sun Nov 9 18:15:24 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) id SAA24092 for chat-outgoing; Sun, 9 Nov 1997 18:15:24 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-chat) Received: from smtp04.primenet.com (smtp04.primenet.com [206.165.5.85]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id SAA24084 for ; Sun, 9 Nov 1997 18:15:16 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from tlambert@usr08.primenet.com) Received: (from daemon@localhost) by smtp04.primenet.com (8.8.7/8.8.7) id TAA06846; Sun, 9 Nov 1997 19:15:10 -0700 (MST) Received: from usr08.primenet.com(206.165.6.208) via SMTP by smtp04.primenet.com, id smtpd006834; Sun Nov 9 19:15:04 1997 Received: (from tlambert@localhost) by usr08.primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) id TAA10152; Sun, 9 Nov 1997 19:14:59 -0700 (MST) From: Terry Lambert Message-Id: <199711100214.TAA10152@usr08.primenet.com> Subject: Re: x86 gods; advice? Suggestions? To: mike@smith.net.au (Mike Smith) Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 02:14:59 +0000 (GMT) Cc: tlambert@primenet.com, mike@smith.net.au, wghhicks@ix.netcom.com, mini@d198-232.uoregon.edu, chat@FreeBSD.ORG In-Reply-To: <199711091531.CAA00402@word.smith.net.au> from "Mike Smith" at Nov 10, 97 02:01:28 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL23] Content-Type: text Sender: owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk > > That last arrow struck home (the others missed, though, if expensive > > is meant in terms of overhead instead of as a subset of proprietary, > > which would make your statement redundant. > > No, expensive is "Ask FirmWorks what it would cost to license their > implementation". Unless you feel like trying to code such a > monstrosity from the specification alone. Well, I already admitted that there should be a free reference implementation if they really want it as the standard. > > Again, you only need to use it once. The code for the OS is similar > > to what I've been pushing in terms of VM86 fallback drivers. You > > don't use it except for the boot, so usability isn't an issue. > > "Only use it once" multiplied by *how* many new users? You and Steve Jobs booting the Macintosh... except Steve is using OpenBoot, isn't he? ;-). Terry Lambert terry@lambert.org --- Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present or previous employers.