Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!pacbell.com!ucsd!nosc!baron!ryptyde!dant
From: dant@ryptyde.UUCP (Daniel Tracy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: Mac memory mgmt (was Re: re^4: what to buy??(numbercruncher))
Message-ID: <94@ryptyde.UUCP>
Date: 23 Jun 91 01:46:30 GMT
References: <82@ryptyde.UUCP> <5333@dirac.physics.purdue.edu> <1991Jun21.235106.14465@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> <1991Jun22.010001.29019@midway.uchicago.edu>
Reply-To: dant@ryptyde.UUCP (Daniel Tracy)
Organization: Ryptyde Timesharing (ryptyde.cts.com)
Lines: 14

Responding to the following:

"For a different scheme to work, the Memory Manager would have to be
   _entirely_ re-written, and such a change could not be applied as a boot-time
   patch, due to the fact that the heap (block-headers, free list, etc) is
   already initialized before patches are loaded.  It would have to be put in
   a new ROM, and that would be a logistical nightmare.  But it would be nice."

Do you mean the heap is initialized before INITs (in the System and out) are
loaded, or do you mean before the System file is even opened? I had heard
that code within the Data Fork of the System file patches the ROM upon
startup, but I guess you're right (?). Couldn't the Heap be reinitialized?
I mean, hell, if OS's of 286 machines can switch back to Real Mode by
resetting the CPU without resetting the machine, surely we can do something!