Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: 16 -> 32 bit
References: <Pine.A32.3.96.1000218182138.54799A-100000@cibs.sns.it>
From: Mark Gray <markgray@iago.nac.net>
Cc: attico@peg2.difi.unipi.it
Date: 21 Feb 2000 07:14:45 -0500
Message-ID: <6s900evjka.fsf@iago.nac.net>
Lines: 39
X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.7/Emacs 20.4
NNTP-Posting-Host: iago.nac.net
X-Trace: 21 Feb 2000 07:14:45 -0500, iago.nac.net
Path: news.adfa.oz.au!clarion.carno.net.au!news0.optus.net.au!news1.optus.net.au!optus!news.mel.connect.com.au!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newspeer1.nac.net!nntp2.nac.net!iago.nac.net
Xref: news.adfa.oz.au comp.os.minix:34769

Attico Nicola <attico@cibs.sns.it> writes:
> hello,

> I'm running, as I said some post ago, a Minix 2.0.0
> 16-bit on a 386. I'm not running the 32-bit version
> because in the Minix Information Sheet I saw that
> it is necessary for that almost 2M of RAM and my
> PC (at boot) counts something like 1792K (i don't
> remember exactly). Now, someone (I don't remember
> who, sorry... the post is disappeared from my
> newsserver) said that this is a strange amount of
> RAM and it is possible that the system has in fact
> 2M (just enough!!!! :) I hope so.
> Now my questions are:
> [1] Is there some simple way to see how much RAM
> I have in effect? (this is a bit OT, I know)

What does the kernel say when you boot up?  (It has been a while since
I rebooted, but I recall that it printed out the memory available when
you do so.)

> [2] I've installed all the source code of the kernel.
> Can I recompile that in 32-bit mode, without having to
> reinstall the 32-bit version from the Net and simply
> try if it works? Is it sufficient to recompile the
> kernel source only?

The compiler on the 16-bit version is a 16-bit compiler -- it will not
be able to compile a 32-bit kernel nor will any of the other utilities
be able to function running under a 32-bit kernel should you be able
to install it (in fact, the source code is the same and the compiler
word size determines which word size kernel is created -- see
/usr/include/minix/config.h).  Why not just see if the 32-bit
installation floppy is able to boot -- if it can, then you probably
could install the 32-bit minix.

(I hope someone with more minix experience will correct me if I am
wrong.)

