[comp.unix.i386] Shadow RAM with UNIX

micha@ixos (07/17/90)

John Wilkes wrote:

> 5. What is "shadow ram" and do I want it enabled?  As I said, I am new to
> i386 based systems, and I'm blissfully ignorant of the MS-DOS world.
> Anyone who wishes to contribute to my education will earn my undying
> gratitude.
>
> John Wilkes
>
> wilkes@mips.com   -OR-   {ames, decwrl, pyramid}!mips!wilkes


Shadow RAM is an hardware possibility to copy the slow ROM (e.g.
System-BIOS, VGA-BIOS) into fast RAM, deactivate the ROM and activate
the RAM write protected.

This is only useful for operating systems wich are using the BIOS
like MS-DOS. Under UNIX *all* BIOS is disabled. All activities are
made by device drivers. The amount of memory, normally 256 or 384K
is *lost*, so Shadow-RAM with UNIX is useless.

Micha


#include "sys/disclaimer.h"   +   No Paulaner ad anymore. 
			      +
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davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (07/23/90)

In article <1239@ixos.UUCP> micha@ixos () writes:

| This is only useful for operating systems wich are using the BIOS
| like MS-DOS. Under UNIX *all* BIOS is disabled. All activities are
| made by device drivers. The amount of memory, normally 256 or 384K
| is *lost*, so Shadow-RAM with UNIX is useless.

  Sorry, in geeneral that's not correct. The ROMs are *unused* rather
than *disabled*. While the 386 can do this there's no need.
-- 
bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen)
    sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX
    moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me