Re: [PATCH] i386 rw_semaphores fix

[Andi Kleen]

On Tue, Apr 10, 2001 at 11:00:31PM +0100, Alan Cox wrote:
> > I guess 386 could live with an exception handler that emulates it.
> 
> 386 could use a simpler setup and is non SMP

The idea was to have a `generic' kernel that works on all architectures.
If you drop 386 support much is better already.
 
> > (BTW an generic exception handler for CMPXCHG would also be very useful
> > for glibc -- currently it has special checking code for 386 in its mutexes) 
> > The 386 are so slow that nobody would probably notice a bit more slowness
> > by a few exceptions.
> 
> Be serious. You can compile glibc without 386 support. Most vendors already
> distribute 386/586 or 386/686 glibc sets.

Yes, and with CMPXCHG handler in the kernel it wouldn't be needed 
(the other 686 optimizations like memcpy also work on 386) 

-Andi