linux-kernel - Re: Why is "Memory split" Kconfig option only for EMBEDDED?

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Message-Id: <1165409112.3233.441.camel@laptopd505.fenrus.org>
Date:	Wed, 06 Dec 2006 13:45:12 +0100
From:	Arjan van de Ven <arjan@...radead.org>
To:	Norbert Kiesel <nkiesel@...networks.com>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Why is "Memory split" Kconfig option only for EMBEDDED?

On Wed, 2006-12-06 at 13:19 +0100, Norbert Kiesel wrote:
> On Wed, 2006-12-06 at 12:58 +0100, Arjan van de Ven wrote:
> > On Wed, 2006-12-06 at 12:42 +0100, Norbert Kiesel wrote:
> > > Hi,
> > > 
> > > I remember reading on LKML some time ago that using VMSPLIT_3G_OPT would
> > > be optimal for a machine with exactly 1GB memory (like my current
> > > desktop). Why is that option only prompted for after selecting EMBEDDED
> > > (which I normally don't select for desktop machines
> > 
> > because it changes the userspace ABI and has some other caveats.... this
> > is not something you should muck with lightly 
> > 
> 
> Hmm, but it's also marked EXPERIMENTAL. Would that not be the
> sufficient?  Assuming I don't use any external/binary drivers and a
> self-compiled kernel w//o any additional patches: is there really any
> downside?

I said *userspace ABI*. You're changing something that userspace has
known about and was documented since the start of Linux. So userspace
application binaries can break, and at least you're changing the rules
on them. That's fine if you know what you're doing.. but in a general
system... not a good default, hence the EMBEDDED.

I assumed entirely that you're not using binary drivers, those are just
horrid in the first place :)

-- 
if you want to mail me at work (you don't), use arjan (at) linux.intel.com
Test the interaction between Linux and your BIOS via http://www.linuxfirmwarekit.org

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