Re: [kernel-reviewers] a small code review (2414483) Automated g4 rollback of changelist 2396062.

[Martin Bligh <mbligh@google.com>]

Tim Hockin wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 26, 2006 at 10:12:14AM -0700, Ken Harrenstien wrote:
> 
>>That doesn't work because IIRC it only reports the amount of memory
>>the kernel has been told (eg via "mem=") to manage in a certain sense,
>>not how much is actually physically available.
>>
>>The I2 netboot kernel would really REALLY like some exported /proc
>>values that accurately report physical memory (if nothing else, the
>>number of DIMMs and their sizes).  It has to figure this out in order
>>to install the proper kernel with proper LILO command-line args.
> 
> 
> The kernel can't really know how much memory is in the system without
> getting chipset-specific.
> 
> MTRR is a good way to hazard a guess, and will probably be right, but as
> you indicated, BIOS vendors have historically been REALLY bad about
> MTRRs.  Better now, but bad a few years ago.
> 
> SMBIOS (on our boards) *does* accurately report the number of DIMMS and
> their sizes (and more!).  But it only works on Google BIOS.

cc: linux-kernel
bcc: kernel-reviewers

Are you saying our e820 maps and srat tables are wrong? that's a little
worrying ...

M.