Results doubtful. Consult Magic 8-Ball again :-).
I'm going to critique these individually pour encourager les autres.
> +Disable IA-64 Virtual Hash Page Table
> +CONFIG_DISABLE_VHPT
> + The Virtual Hash Page Table (VHPT) enhances virtual address
> + translation performance. Normally you want the VHPT active but you
> + can select this option to disable the VHPT for debugging. If you're
> + unsure, answer N.
Excellent! Second sentence a good example of motivation.
> +McKinley A-step specific code
> +CONFIG_MCKINLEY_ASTEP_SPECIFIC
> + Select this option to build a kernel for an IA64 McKinley system
> + with any A-stepping CPU.
> +
> +McKinley A0/A1-step specific code
> +CONFIG_MCKINLEY_A0_SPECIFIC
> + Select this option to build a kernel for an IA64 McKinley system
> + with an A0 or A1 stepping CPU.
Ah, now I could have written these. What I was hoping for was extra
information analogous to what's in these:
Enable Itanium B-step specific code
CONFIG_ITANIUM_BSTEP_SPECIFIC
Select this option to build a kernel for an Itanium prototype system
with a B-step CPU. You have a B-step CPU if the "revision" field in
/proc/cpuinfo has a value in the range from 1 to 4.
Enable Itanium B0-step specific code
CONFIG_ITANIUM_B0_SPECIFIC
Select this option to build a kernel for an Itanium prototype system
with a B0-step CPU. You have a B0-step CPU if the "revision" field in
/proc/cpuinfo is 1.
Is there a value range in /proc/cpuinfo that tells you you have an A/A0 step?
> +IA64 compare-and-exchange bug checking
> +CONFIG_IA64_DEBUG_CMPXCHG
> + Selecting this option turns on bug checking for the IA64
> + compare-and-exchange instructions. This is slow! If you're unsure,
> + select N.
> +
> +IA64 IRQ bug checking
> +CONFIG_IA64_DEBUG_IRQ
> + Selecting this option turns on bug checking for the IA64 irq_save and
> + restore instructions. This is slow! If you're unsure, select N.
These would be much improved by some indication of what IA64 variants or mask
steppings have these problems.
> +IA64 Early printk support
> +CONFIG_IA64_EARLY_PRINTK
> + Selecting this option uses the VGA screen for printk() output before
> + the consoles are initialised. It is useful for debugging problems
> + early in the boot process, but only if you have a VGA screen
> + attached. If you're unsure, select N.
Good!
> +IA64 Print Hazards
> +CONFIG_IA64_PRINT_HAZARDS
> + Selecting this option prints more information for Illegal Dependency
> + Faults, that is, for Read after Write, Write after Write or Write
> + after Read violations. This option is ignored if you are compiling
> + for an Itanium A step processor (CONFIG_ITANIUM_ASTEP_SPECIFIC). If
> + you're unsure, select Y.
Excellent!
This is a fine start.
-- <a href="http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/">Eric S. Raymond</a>"If I must write the truth, I am disposed to avoid every assembly of bishops; for of no synod have I seen a profitable end, but rather an addition to than a diminution of evils; for the love of strife and the thirst for superiority are beyond the power of words to express." -- Father Gregory Nazianzen, 381 AD - 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/