Sys V kernel bss is a HOG!!!

terryl at tekcrl.UUCP terryl at tekcrl.UUCP
Sat Feb 21 08:52:35 AEST 1987


In article <3690002 at nucsrl.UUCP> naim at nucsrl.UUCP (Naim Abdullah) writes:
>
>It seems that the text size of the bsd kernel compares very favourably
>with the System V kernel, if one considers the additional functionality.
>
>However, I am curious as to why the system V kernel has such a large
>bss size compared to the bsd kernel (410KB vs. 70KB). The Vax is
>configured for INET while the 3b2 is on a 3bnet. Can it be, because
>3bnet is a hog for buffers or that system V uses a very large buffer
>cache ? I don't know the answer and I invite you to speculate.
>
>If it makes a difference, I know that the Vax in question has 4MB
>of memory while rumor has it that the 3b2 has 2MB.

     Don't forget, BSD kernels allocate things like the buffer cache, in-
core inode, open file structures (and oodles and oodles of other goodies)
DYNAMICALLY at run time. So, at the very least, one should add at least
1/2 Meg to the BSD kernel sizes. I don't know anything about System V,
but I'll bet it does all of its allocation statically, (i.e. at link time).



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