Subject: Re: problems with interrupts
To: None <bwalker@musings.com>
From: Aaron B. Brown <abrown@eecs.harvard.edu>
List: port-sparc
Date: 09/21/1995 23:16:22
On Thu, 21 Sep 1995 18:01:39 -0700 you wrote:

>I've been working on the zs driver. And I've made some extensive
>changes. But, the problem that I'm running into that the interrupt
>framework is severely broken. The whole framework is not general
>enough. 

In what way? I can't see what else can be done in terms of hardware
interrupts, unless you're looking for fastpath interrupts which bypass
the trip to C-level. Or do you mean the limited software interrupt
support (i.e. all soft interrupts use Int#1)? I'm not sure exactly
what software interrupt levels are available on the 4 or 4c, but I've
thought a couple of times of decoupling the multiple software
interrupt handlers on the 4m port, as that architecture deals with
software interrupts nicely. I've stopped each time because I'm no
expert on the old Sun architectures (and because the 4m port has more
pressing issues at this time...)

>And there are several places where things happen but the
>system crashes because the kernel isn't properly protecting itself.

Such as? Tell us where and maybe someone will fix it, or send-pr a
patch.

--Aaron

--
Aaron B. Brown
Harvard University
abrown@eecs.harvard.edu