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

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Message-Id: <1165412195.5954.239.camel@titan.tbdnetworks.com>
Date:	Wed, 06 Dec 2006 14:36:35 +0100
From:	Norbert Kiesel <nkiesel@...networks.com>
To:	Arjan van de Ven <arjan@...radead.org>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Why is "Memory split" Kconfig option only for EMBEDDED?

On Wed, 2006-12-06 at 13:45 +0100, Arjan van de Ven wrote:
> 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.

Thanks for the reply. I was not asking to change the default, I just
want to see the option in e.g. menuconfig. And the help text already has
a very strong advise to leave it at VMSPLIT_3G.

Anyway, I don't want to stress this further: I'm happy enough with my
Kconfig that has "if EMBEDDED" removed for the prompt. 

Best,
  Norbert


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