On Sun, Oct 29, 2006 at 11:25:32AM -0800, John Nemeth wrote:
> On Mar 21,  8:39am, Thor Lancelot Simon wrote:
> }
> } The I386_CPU option makes kernels considerably larger, and the VM system
> } and the network stack slower.  I seriously doubt that it's possible to
> } boot a GENERIC (and probably not even an INSTALL) kernel on any system
> } without an i486-compatible MMU anyway.
> 
>      What does an i386-compatible MMU provide that the i386 MMU
> didn't?

On the i386, the handling of read-only mappings in kernel mode is
different, and the TLB handling also differs.  Both of these require
workarounds that are not cheap.

-- 
  Thor Lancelot Simon	                                     tls@rek.tjls.com

  "We cannot usually in social life pursue a single value or a single moral
   aim, untroubled by the need to compromise with others."      - H.L.A. Hart