At 1:27 PM +0200 2/27/03, Ruslan Ermilov wrote:
> : RCS file: /home/ncvs/src/sys/i386/conf/GENERIC,v > : Working file: GENERIC > : description: > : ---------------------------- > : revision 1.296 > : date: 2001/01/14 10:11:10; author: jhb; state: Exp; lines: +2 -2 > : > : Remove I386_CPU from GENERIC. Support for the 386 seriously > : pessimizes performance on other x86 processors. Custom kernels > : can still be built that will run on the 386.
While there was good reason for removing i386 from GENERIC, that does mean that someone "just wanting to try freebsd" on a i386 may very well give up before realizing that it does (hopefully!) work.
For official release CDs, should we also provide a GENERIC_I386 kernel, so the person can get up-and-running without having to first build a new kernel? Or will they just run into other problems once they get past the kernel, due to everything else in the system being compiled for i486 & newer?
I think we (developers) get a little too used to having multiple machines around, and assume that everyone who might want to test freebsd will have some hardware that works for the GENERIC kernel, and which they can use to first do a buildkernel for the hardware they really want to test freebsd on.
I'm thinking maybe the 5.x release CD's should include: GENERIC GENERIC +SMP GENERIC +VMWARE-friendly settings GENERIC for i386
Would that add too much extra work for a 5.x release?
I'd be happy to add this kind of stuff to 5.x, but the real hurdle is doing the work to make it happen. It would be nice to be able to select the kernel that you want from the bootloader of the CD, though this probably isn't terribly important. I doubt that many i386-vintage systems understand non-emulated El Torito, so you'd have to roll install floppies also.
Another idea for a 'custom GENERIC' is a 'low memory/i386' version that removes all of the PCI devices and other things not likely to run or exist on an i386.
Anyways, patches are welcome!
Scott
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