> If you compile a tailored NetBSD kernel for a VAX it will not be so much
> bigger than a 4.3 kernel, and it will consume much less memory when you
> are running than 4.3. You get a bunch of benefits, like an effective VM
> system, much faster network I/O and so.
> 
> The size of a 11/750 kernel for massbuss disks, ethernet and dz11:
> # size netbsd 
> text    data    bss     dec     hex     filename
> 420884  15876   125064  561824  892a0   netbsd
> 
> The same but also with massbuss tapes and interlan ethernet from 4.3BSD:
> # size vmunix
> text    data    bss     dec     hex     filename
> 322372  99224   112044  533640  82488   vmunix
> 
> (note that text+data is almost the same size on both of them).

Interesting.  Do you have these figures for an MVII?
My machines are at home, so I can't get to them right now, but
I will try to do that over the weekend and report back.
My stripped MVII kernels were about 4x different in size
between 4.3BSD and NetBSD-1.5, if I am remembering correctly.
I am wondering if it has something to do with particular
i/o subsystems, like the scsi bits?

Bob