Subject: Re: Compressed kernel boot
To: None <D.K.Brownlee@city.ac.uk>
From: Phil Nelson <phil@steelhead.cs.wwu.edu>
List: port-i386
Date: 08/30/1995 09:17:40
>	I've just noticed some commits for the pc532 for compressed
>	kernel boot (apologies if I'm mistaken, but it looks like the
>	boot program knows how to decompress a kernel on load).

Actually, the boot program does not know how to decompress the kernel.
A compressed kernel is loaded as data in another program that is 
loaded by the boot program.  This other program then decompresses
the kernel into the proper place in memory and then jumps to it.

>	Anyway - is anyone looking at having a MI implementation for
>	compressed kernels?

I don't think it is possible for a completely MI implementation, but
I'm sure the decompression routines could be MI.

-- 
Phil Nelson
phil@steelhead.cs.wwu.edu (NetBSD/pc532 machine)
phil@cs.wwu.edu (work)
http://www.cs.wwu.edu/~phil