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SubjectRe: 2.0.31 legacy 386 compatibility?
	Thanks for the reply,

> Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 15:31:50 +0100
> From: Pavel Machek <pavel@atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz>
> To: "J. Maynard Gelinas" <jmg@iac.net>
> Cc: linux-kernel@vger.rutgers.edu
> Subject: Re: 2.0.31 legacy 386 compatibility?
>
> Hi!
>
> > machine has a hardware FPU, and I've both compiled in and removed
> > software FPU emulation (with no effect). I installed using the 486
>
> Aha. Try installing FPU emulation, and *making kernel think than
> there's no FPU*.

And making the kernel think there is no FPU? How do I do
this?

>
> > and have been compiling test kernels there, then moving the cards,
> > drive, etc over to the 386 to test each new kernel. They always
> > freeze on the 386, but when the same drive and hardware is moved to my
> > 486 it boots just fine. Former kernels never have a problem, and the
> > machine still runs my previous 2.0,29 (modified Redhat 4.0) install
> > flawlessly.
>
> Hmm. Is that kernel compiled for 386, is it?

Yes. I chose 386 when compiling the kernel, but it is my
understanding that both 386 or 486 designations will work just fine
either way, and that since there are no real optimizations for pentium
CPUs in GCC at the moment, the kernel should work no matter what I
select . However, I chose 386 for CPU type to be conservative.

>
> Pavel
> PS: That FPU is *not* 287? (just by chance)

No. I double checked the FPU type and it is a 387 at the same
speed as the CPU. However, I seem to remember 287s manufactured in 40
pin dip format where the 387 is much larger... I doubt one _could_ use
a 287 with a 386 motherboard.

One other person suggested that bad RAM is the problem,
however I have successfully compiled kernels (with 2.0.29) on this
machine (very slowly). I've never had the machine opps, and never had
the machine freeze (except for these problems with the newer kernels).
This machine has reliably performed with Linux for a long time. Maybe
it's RAM, but if so why does it work well with older kernels and not
with kernels above 2.0.29?

J. Maynard Gelinas

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