[9fans] x87

[9fans] x87

[xspager]

Sorry by this, but I think I don't get an answer, because my message
was not posted in 9fans, but now I'm a 9fans registered (?). I'm
waiting for an answer.

 Reading the article "The Various Ports", I get confused which the
 mention about the 387 float point unit. The libc compiled to x86
 machines use the fpu or not? If not how to make it work?

Re: [9fans] x87

[Charles Forsyth]

>  Reading the article "The Various Ports", I get confused which the
>  mention about the 387 float point unit. The libc compiled to x86
>  machines use the fpu or not? If not how to make it work?

the system uses the fpu.
the 387 mentioned is built-in to x86 machines these days, often alongside
two or is it three others (3DNow! SSE SSE2).  the compiler (and thus libc)
uses the 387 model.

the amd64 compiler uses sse2 instead.

Re: [9fans] x87

[erik quanstrom]

is the amd64 compiler publicly available?

- erik

On Mon Oct  2 06:58:47 CDT 2006, forsyth@terzarima.net wrote:
> 
> the amd64 compiler uses sse2 instead.

Re: [9fans] x87

[geoff]

Jim is away for a few days, so I'll repeat the answer he gave me
recently (from memory):

The amd64 compiler suite works and we're able to build and run amd64
cpu servers, but there is no support for vga in the amd64 kernel yet.
Until we're ready to distribute the kernel, there doesn't seem to be
much point in distributing the compiler.

Note though that the amd64 port currently does not permit the use of
64-bit addressing in user processes nor I/O above 4GB, though that's
not really an issue, since it all goes through the kernel.  I believe
Jim said that the amd64 kernel can exploit physical memory beyond 4GB.

Having said all that, I believe Vitanuova are doing the compiler work,
so they may have other opinions about availability.

Re: [9fans] x87

[erik quanstrom]

thanks for the explaination.

i would definately use the amd64 kernel even without vga.  

- erik