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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news1.erols.com!news.enteract.com!news.inap.net!news1!not-for-mail From: root@dyson.iquest.net (John S. Dyson) Subject: Re: Curious about *BSD History X-Nntp-Posting-Host: dyson.iquest.net Message-ID: <4krn7f$24r@dyson.iquest.net> Sender: news@iquest.net (News Admin) Organization: John S. Dyson's Machine References: <4k1nue$lm8@orb.direct.ca> <4kl863$rno@news.rhrz.uni-bonn.de> <1996Apr12.210743.28292@wavehh.hanse.de> <4ko58r$4l4@reason.cdrom.com> Date: Sun, 14 Apr 1996 20:29:35 GMT Lines: 26 Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:17472 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:3067 In article <4ko58r$4l4@reason.cdrom.com>, Jordan K. Hubbard <jkh@time.cdrom.com> wrote: >In article <1996Apr12.210743.28292@wavehh.hanse.de>, > cracauer@wavehh.hanse.de (Martin Cracauer) writes: >>I can't resist, sorry, but let me say that you bought a machine and a >>SCSI controller that cannot use more than 16 MB of RAM. Now you put 24 >>MB of RAM in it and want your OS to fix it. Mumble... > >Sure. And what's wrong with that? > >Having the OS compensate for limitations in the hardware is an entirely >reasonable thing to do, assuming it's not too difficult or paradigm- >warping (and this wasn't), and if none of that took place at all then >UNIX on Intel would be a much bleaker landscape indeed, let me assure >you. The user is not always right, but more often right than not. > And note the complexities of bounce buffering that CGD has been describing in the Alpha port. That is apparently the epitome of an OS compensating for the limitations (or design tradeoffs) of a hardware design. I agree that it is not only OK but desirable to make an OS adapt to hardware when needed. John dyson@freebsd.org