Re: [RFC] general-usage real-mode loader

["Vesa Jääskeläinen" <chaac@nic.fi>]

phcoder wrote:
> Well sometimes it's similar but most of the time isn't because your code
> runs a code in RM but with hope returning back to PM and normal grub
> operation. And it also loads to quite fixed place. My code would load a
> kernel, that means that it will not return and so code can be loaded to
> any place not needed by kernel.

Do you mind replying inline...?

It is true that code is withing grub's i386 kernel. But other than that
same mechanism can be used to load kernel. After all kernel will take
over the computer after it has started and it is not returning back
anymore (eg. stack is not anymore there to be restored).

I would prefer that if we are going to give custom register
configurations for kernel then they all should use same structures for
storing registers.

But anyway... Did you have some good examples where this functionaly
would be needed :) ? For now we have specialized loaders that prepare
system for any special OSes that needs to be supported. Especially how
do you know what registers to fill or better yet, how user will provide
this information so OS can be loaded.

If there is a need for specialized loader please provide some details
where those are needed and what is required from GRUB in order to
support that. If there is possibility to use multiboot then that would
supersede need for specialized loader.

Thanks,
Vesa Jääskeläinen