Re: initramfs programs (was [RFC] klibc requirements)

Dave Jones
2002-01-10T17:43:58Z

On Thu, 10 Jan 2002, H. Peter Anvin wrote:

> > (Also, some implementations allow for this string to be changed,
> > some folks have it set to "PenguinPowered" and the likes 8-)
> Sure, but if you do that you're *asking*, in a very literal way, for
> your CPU to misidentified. In fact, a major reason for making this
> string modifiable is due to certain vendors who hard-code CPUID strings
> in their code.

Absolutely, no argument from me there.

> > Asides from the above issues, multiple CPUs have the same
> > cpuid sometimes, meaning you have to check things like
> > cache size as well (though most (all?) of these should
> > end up with the same CONFIG_ option iirc, so this shouldn't
> > be an issue -- you should check to be sure though)
> Why -- if it doesn't change anything, all you're doing is making it
> confusing when the next derivative appears. Remember that we *do* need,
> as much as possible, to be forward compatible with future CPUs.

If every combination for a given cpuid translates to the same CONFIG_
option, fine. I'm just not sure from memory if thats the case or not.
The various Celeron/PIII's for example, some have SSE, some don't.
Assuming Intel cpuid xxx translates to CONFIG_PENTIUMIII would break if
thats the case.

--
| Dave Jones. http://www.codemonkey.org.uk
| SuSE Labs