[Linux for the SAM] > > > People say `use C' but unfortunately > > > that way lies code bloat. Original systems fitted in to 64k. I would > > > suggest that it would be possible (if the z380 has a decent MMU) to > > > write a functional unix (by todays standards) that could > > > run on a single meg without too much disk hammering, but most of the > > > core would -have- to be written in z(3)80 code. > > > > Well, Linux on this machine takes up around 3.5MB just booting up. > > It might be tricky to get it into 1MB... > > It is not impossible. In fact, if the C-compiler is good (let's face > it, most of the non-time critical code is already there so why not > use it? - the main problem is to get the code re-entrant and perhas > dynamically linked? :), a usable Linux-port could be done in > 250-300K of kernel. However, the question is if it is possible to > use the MMU of the z380? SI?
Right... I'm with Geoff on coding it in Z80 by the way - C does lead to a fair bit of bloat unfortunately... :( (Which is why I think Nev Young's course of writing the HD dos in C is a pretty awful one). The problem here is with the MMU... while the Z380 has facilities for reducing the chip count needed to access memory modules, it doesn't have an MMU per se - just a 4Gb address space. So, if processes go walkabout, we could be talking serious problems... I'm going to have to ask Zilog nicely if they've got an MMU finished for it yet I think... I'll get back to you on it... (The alternative is to replace every memory access with an undefined opcode followed by the address it is to go to, followed by the data to be written... slow, but it'd do it, as the Z380 traps the undefined ones now...) Simon
