Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!cmcl2!yale!husc6!mit-eddie!rutgers!sri-unix!hplabs!hp-sdd!ncr-sd!ncrcae!sauron!campbell
From: campbell@sauron.UUCP (Mark Campbell)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Unix System V.3 Configuration Philosophy
Message-ID: <780@sauron.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 4-Dec-86 18:29:46 EST
Article-I.D.: sauron.780
Posted: Thu Dec  4 18:29:46 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 6-Dec-86 21:43:35 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: NCR Corp., Advanced System Development, Columbia, SC
Lines: 20

Could someone please explain the rationale behind the
3B2 System V.3 configuration scheme?  I'm specifically
talking about the "mboot"/"lboot" code which handles
reconfiguration at run-time.  It seems to me to be really
cumbersome -- a sure sign that I'm missing the reasons
the code exists in the first place.  Some of the basic
questions I have are:

   o Why is the symbol table constructed at run-time?
   o Why use "mkboot" instead of the traditional
     SGS code ("ld").

I really don't want to get into arguments concerning
"this is better than that", I just want to understand
what motivated the developers.

Thanks.
-- 

Mark Campbell    Phone: (803)-791-6697     E-Mail: !ncsu!ncrcae!sauron!campbell