On Sun, 29 Dec 1996 16:12:09 -0800 
 David Carrel <carrel@cisco.com> wrote:

 > Why is "-msoft-float" always in the CFLAGS for kernel builds?  I edited it
 > out of the Makefile and the kernel builds fine and seems to be running
 > fine.  It seems to me, that for machines with FP hardware having
 > -msoft-float would just produce a slower kernel.  Am I missing something.
 > Is there just so little FP used in the kernel that it's left in the
 > Makefile for generality??

Well, the only floating point done by the kernel should be in hand-coded
assembler (in locore.s), and this should be only for dealing with FPU
state.  I.e. you don't want, for example, the kernel on an 040 to have to
enter the FPSP... that should be there only for user code.

It won't result in a slower kernel because the kernel should not do any
floating point at all.

Jason R. Thorpe                                       thorpej@nas.nasa.gov
NASA Ames Research Center                               Home: 408.866.1912
NAS: M/S 258-6                                          Work: 415.604.0935
Moffett Field, CA 94035                                Pager: 415.428.6939