Subj : FreeBSD 4.3-RC buffer is
To   : Tobias Ernst
From : Charles Angelich
Date : Tue Apr 17 2001 06:52 am

123309ce1e75
unix



Hello Tobias - 

TE> The only critical part could be the FreeBSD kernel, which
TE> contains some assemblies which could make use of Pentium-
TE> type instructions. However, there are options in the kernel
TE> config, with which you can enable or disable use of those
TE> instructions, and given that the default GENERIC kernel of
TE> FreeBSD contains a 

TE> cpu I386_CPU 

TE> config statement (among others for 486, 586 and 686), it is
TE> obvious that they at least intend to support plain 386 type
TE> CPUs with this kernel. 

TE> I have no such machines left, so I can only make
TE> theoretical arguments, but I really see no reason why
TE> FreeBSD 4.x would not work on those machines. 

TE> FreeBSD's philosphy has always been to put stability in
TE> front before any sort of experimental fine-tuning. And even
TE> Linux is shipping with i386 binaries per default. If you
TE> want Linux with pgcc-compiled binaries you need to use one
TE> of the few special Linux distros that ship with this sort
TE> of binaries. 

Having put an XT, 286, and now 386 onto the Internet primarilly
using existing apps I have noticed that even though the desire
to support the 386 is evident the hands-on experience is just
not there. 

Many 386 max out at 8megs, no option in hardware for more than
that. Many distributed OS of the *nix variety can only be
installed on 8meg machines. All 386 were not maxed out at the
time of purchase (there are many 4meg 386s out there). I recall
that AT&T had 32meg machines for sale but those are not common
and extremely proprietary as I remember them? Older memory
chips are not truly available if you're not in a group of
hardware techs. Many say they have boxes full of them - I have
yet to see these boxes? 

The other problem that is overlooked is that at one time a
500meg hard drive was all that DOS could use and most were
engineered for DOS use. 

On older PS/2's you find 35meg drives on 386s and the PS/2
drive not using a ribbon cable and having MCA slots makes
upgrading dicey. 

All conversations regarding the 386 machine become theoretical,
vague, and then just dwindle away. 

Stories of the 386 "my kids use in the basement" are common but
I've become skeptical and prefer to consider those as folklore. 

Running IExplorer, Opera, and DOS Arachne GUI browsers on a
4meg 386 at 33mhz and enjoying the folklore. 

>
>        ,                          ,
>      o/      Charles.Angelich      \o       ,
>     <|    <at>AngelFire<dot>com     |>  __o/
>     / >          USA, MI           < \   __\__
 

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