Re: kernel compilation question

[Alan Cox]

> that the main kernel is compiled with gcc, and linked with standard ld,
> and only the bootloader code is compiled using the bin86 (as86,
> ld86) tools. Am I right in interpreting this to mean that the main kernel
> is/can be 32-bit binary, and not strictly 16-bit?

The main kernel is 32bit. The 16bit pieces of code are just used to boot
into 32bit mode either on the first CPU when entering from the bootstrap or
on the other processors (if SMP) from the processor startup messages