[patch] improved multiboot support in kernel and boot(8)

[rjs%fdy2.demon.co.uk@localhost]

Grégoire Sutre <gregoire.sutre%gmail.com@localhost> wrote:
>Hi,
>
>The multiboot code in the kernel and in boot(8) does not implement
>several features of the multiboot specification, in particular:
>
>- multiboot in boot(8):
>  . the ELF section headers are not passed to the kernel, hence
>    /dev/ksyms and kernel modules cannot work.
>  . the booted device is not passed to the kernel, hence
>    x86_autoconf cannot guess the root device.
>
>- multiboot in kernel:
>  . there is no support for kernel modules.

The existing multiboot code was only intended to be enough to load Xen,
the expectation was that native kernels would still be loaded using
the old method.

What is the benefit of adding your patch ?

[snip]

>To properly set the boot_device field of the MBI, the DOS partition
>number is now stored in the biosdisk structure in biosdisk.c.

What happens if there is no DOS partition table on the boot disk ?

Robert Swindells