Re: your mail

Systemkennung Linux (linux@mailhost.uni-koblenz.de)
Fri, 14 Jun 1996 11:45:38 +0200 (MET DST)


Hi,

> Split the architecture dependent parts off into separate
> distributions. Okay, we've had this before, but with the current
> kernel source in tar and feathers at way over 5 MB and the guarantee
> that you'll _never_ need a substantial portion of it, please
> reconsider.

Yuck. _*NO*_. That makes maintaining the whole thing a double plus
mess. The interfaces between architecture dependand and independand
stuff are still evolving though they have settled down in the last
time. Think MIPS SMP will shake that a bit again ...

> SCSI driver or reconfiguring the sound card or similar nonsense. After
> all, what is "make" for?

Sarcasm intended: Intelligent recompilation.

(Apropos sarcsam - and totally unrelated - did you you that a court
has forbidden Intel somewhen during the seventies to call the company
"Intelligent Electronics"?)

> - Have all kernel symbols in the actual boot file. No need to shuffle
> around System.map and (worse) psdatabase.

Good point because you usually don't have the appropriate psdatabase
at hand when booting an old kernel. Makes eg "ps axl" a mess.

> - A standard way to run a headless machine (no video card at all) on a
> serial console. Find and fix the problem that some boards don't boot
> without a keyboard (I suspected LILO but someone said it's in
> setup.S).

My board wouldn't ever boot, just wait for F1 to be pressed ...

Ralf