Re: [2.6 patch] i386: always use 4k stacks

Bill Davidsen
2005-11-17T19:30:19Z

Jeff V. Merkey wrote:
> Robert Hancock wrote:
>
>> Jeff V. Merkey wrote:
>>
>>> Why does the kernel need to be limited to 4K? for kernel preemption?
>>
>>
>>
>> No, because it makes a whole lot of things simpler and more reliable
>> if the kernel stack is only one page.
>>
>>>
>>> Someone needs to fix this. It's busted. It makes porting code between
>>> Windows and Linux and other OS's difficult to support.
>>
>>
>>
>> Ease of porting drivers written for other OSes to Linux is clearly not
>> a high priority for the kernel community..
>
>
>
> What? There's more kernel apps than just ndis network drivers that get
> ported. ndiswrapper is busted (which is used for a lot of laptops)
> without 4K stacks. My laptop is a Compaq and there isn't a Linux driver
> for the wireless. I also discovered Fedora Core 4 won't install
> on a Compaq Presario with SATA (stacks crashes).
> What are you saying? People with wireless and laptops who run Linux
> can't because ndiswrapper is busted without 8K stacks?
>
> Should be a configurable option 4-16K -- set at RUN TIME on the COMMAND
> LINE of the BOOT LOADER. Peopl can set
> profile=? why not kernel default stack size. That way Fedora, ES, AS,
> and Suse can run out of the box on laptops like Windows,
> or is M$ going to keep owning the desktop?

Having stack size as a compile time value and having it as a runtime
value are two totally different problems. I just don't see much benefit
from making changing the size easy, when it is likely to be a VERY
infrequent need at all.

--
-bill davidsen (davidsen@tmr.com)
"The secret to procrastination is to put things off until the
last possible moment - but no longer" -me