Subject: Re: Device minor numbers conversion in COMPAT_NETBSD32
To: Quentin Garnier <cube@cubidou.net>
From: Manuel Bouyer <bouyer@antioche.eu.org>
List: tech-kern
Date: 01/03/2006 11:40:44
On Tue, Jan 03, 2006 at 09:06:42AM +0100, Quentin Garnier wrote:
> There are two main cases to consider:
> 
> 1.  User wants to boot an i386 system with an amd64 kernel (and please
>     note that with the VM_TOPDOWN patch I sent on the port-amd64 list
>     yesterday, we gain 1 GB of virtual space by using COMPAT_NETBSD32
>     instead of NetBSD/i386, so it can matter in some situations).
> 
> 2.  User wants to use a limited number of i386 binaries in an amd64
>     environment.
> 
> Case 1 means we have to make the assumption COMPAT_NETBSD32 binaries
> will only see an i386 /dev (which will be the only one in the system).

For case 1, you can update the /dev with amd64 devices. Once you've done
that you can't boot a i386 kernel anymore (unless you switch /dev back)
but it is really a big issue ?

-- 
Manuel Bouyer <bouyer@antioche.eu.org>
     NetBSD: 26 ans d'experience feront toujours la difference
--