Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!loft386!DSUVAX!ghelmer
From: ghelmer@DSUVAX.uucp (Guy Helmer)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: Can MINIX take advantage of a math co-processor?
Summary: 8087 w/ MINIX
Message-ID: <1989Dec7.212544.17342@DSUVAX.uucp>
Date: 7 Dec 89 21:25:44 GMT
References: <3079@iitmax.IIT.EDU>
Organization: Dakota State University
Lines: 26

In article <3079@iitmax.IIT.EDU>, ed@iitmax.IIT.EDU (Ed Federmeyer) writes:
> If I install an 8087 math co-processor in my PC, and re-compile the MINIX
> kernel with the C compiler that comes with MINIX, will it be able to take
> advantage of the 8087, or does the official MINIX C compiler just ignore
> 'x87's completely?

   Basically, MINIX ignores the 80x87 chip.  The routines save and
_restart in kernel/mpx88.s would have to be modified to save/restore the
state of the '87 chip if one would attempt to run floating point code.
The MINIX C compiler can generate calls to floating point library routines;
one might be able to build up support for the '87 chip using the software
floating point package posted a few months ago.

> I also heard references (I think in that file "MINIX INFO" that gets posted
> every once in a while) to a Pascal compiler for MINIX... Does MINIX come with
> a Pascal compiler?

   No, the Pascal compiler doesn't come with MINIX.

> || Ed Federmeyer                      ||   Internet:  ed@iitMax.iit.edu     ||


-- 
Guy Helmer                                           ghelmer@dsuvax.uucp
Dakota State University Computing Services           helmer@sdnet.bitnet
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