David C wrote:
> On Sun, 7 Jan 2001, Robert W. Cunningham wrote:
>
> > "Hausheer, Geoffrey" wrote:
> >
> [snip]
> > 2. Optimize for the slowest target platform, effectively disabling the
> > application for targets more "primitive" than the selected target.
> >
> [snip]
> > the first MS OS incapable of running on the '286 or earlier. The largest Linux
> > vendor, Red Hat, still targets the '386 by default! The decision to abandon
> > "primitive" platforms is never taken lightly in the PC world, hence the very
> > rare occurrence of the second option. Which effectively prevents optimizing
> > for the latest bleeding-edge platform.
> >
> [snip]
> >
>
> Redhat targets the 386 architechture because the linux kernel was written
> for the 386. No linux distribution I know of runs on anything less than a
> 386. Redhat _is_ effectivly supporting the lowest platform that they can.
Look at Mandrake. They target nothing less than '586, and they are moving rapidly
to a minimum platform of '686.
-BobC
