Re: [PATCH] x86: simplify HIGHMEM-related Kconfig entries

From: Ingo Molnar
Date: Thu Jan 15 2009 - 03:58:28 EST



* Jan Beulich <jbeulich@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> >>> "H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@xxxxxxxxx> 14.01.09 20:39 >>>
> >Jan Beulich wrote:
> >> Additionally remove the dependency of X86_PAE on !HIGHMEM4G - at least
> >> I can't understand why that dependency existed.
> >
> >At least originally, the meaning of the x86 highmem entries were:
> >
> > No highmem - No highmem, no PAE
> > HIGHMEM4G - Highmem, no PAE
> > HIGHMEM64G - Highmem, PAE
> >
> >So X86_PAE and HIGHMEM4G is a bit of a contradiction. I haven't looked
> >at the logic in detail, or remember offhand if there have been any
> >weakening of the definitions above; e.g. someone could have implemented
> >a way to do PAE without highmem, to get access to the NX bits.
>
> Exactly - .23 made PAE an independently selectable option (in
> particular, the no-highmem+PAE combination is now valid), but I can't
> see why it added the !HIGHMEM4G dependency.

There's no deep reason, it just has never really been tested that way. I
think we should try it.

Ingo
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