lkml.org 
[lkml]   [2005]   [Sep]   [10]   [last100]   RSS Feed
Views: [more markup]  [less markup]  [headers]  [forward] 
 
Messages in this thread
/
DateSat, 10 Sep 2005 03:52:36 -0400
FromJeff Garzik <>
SubjectRe: Pure 64 bootloaders
On Sat, Sep 10, 2005 at 12:42:06AM -0700, Jim Gifford wrote:
> I have been working on a project to create a Pure 64 bit distro of 
> linux, nothing 32 bit in the system. I can accomplish that with no 
> issues pretty much on all platforms, with the exception of the 
> bootloaders. It just seems odd, that all the bootloaders seem to have 
> gcc -m32 in their makefiles.> > Silo on the Sparc has gcc -m32> Grub on the x86 platforms has gcc -m32> > The only one that builds and works is Lilo, which most people are moving 
> away from.> > So for my question, why does a bootloader have to be 32bit?
> Anyone got 64 bit bootloaders for Sparc or x86_64 machines?
> Are there technical limitations that bootloaders can't be 64 bit?
> If we can't have a pure64 environment, why does the Kernel support it?

It depends on the mode the CPU is in, at boot time.  Also, there are size
constraints, as 64-bit code is usually larger.

There's nothing stopping you from writing a bootloader that immediately
put the CPU into 64-bit mode, and then proceeds from there...

	Jeff



-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/

\
 
 \ /
  Last update: 2005-09-10 07:58    [from the cache]
©2003-2008