From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from mailserv2.iuinc.com (qmailr@mailserv2.iuinc.com [206.245.164.55]) by puffin.external.hp.com (8.8.7/8.8.7) with SMTP id IAA25702 for ; Thu, 11 Nov 1999 08:34:49 -0700 Received: from udlkern.fc.hp.com (root@udlkern.fc.hp.com [15.1.52.48]) by hpfcla.fc.hp.com (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id IAA05662 for ; Thu, 11 Nov 1999 08:36:15 -0700 (MST) Received: from debian.fc.hp.com (root@debian.fc.hp.com [15.1.48.119]) by udlkern.fc.hp.com with ESMTP (8.8.6 (PHNE_14041)/8.7.1) id IAA13182 for ; Thu, 11 Nov 1999 08:36:14 -0700 (MST) Received: from debian.fc.hp.com (bame@localhost [127.0.0.1]) by debian.fc.hp.com (8.9.3/8.9.3/Debian/GNU) with ESMTP id IAA19092 for ; Thu, 11 Nov 1999 08:36:14 -0700 Message-Id: <199911111536.IAA19092@debian.fc.hp.com> To: parisc-linux@thepuffingroup.com Subject: Re: [parisc-linux] _end symbol in parisc linux? In-reply-to: Your message of "Sat, 06 Nov 1999 13:08:22 MST." <30261.941918902@upchuck> Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 08:36:14 -0700 From: Paul Bame List-ID: I'm also worried about why there are data symbols following BSS in our current palinux kernel... = Though I'd worry about precisely *why* someone wants the _end symbol; whatever = they're trying to do there's probably a better way. Maybe there is a better way. The first reason I want to use _end (and _edata) is to clear the kernel BSS reliably (which is working great). The second reason, which doesn't currently work, is to have a symbol pointing at the very end of kernel memory, since that is where free memory will start. Both these tasks are currently being done at run-time -- in one case by parsing the SOM header and in another case by guessing about a parameter passed in by the hpux bootloader -- neither is currently reliable despite the considerable experimentation and sweat others have poured into the effort. I want to avoid parsing the SOM header and guessing about bootloaders in the future. It would also be great to use an old, reliable, and language-system independent. -P