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Date:      Tue, 29 Jul 1997 00:09:12 -0800
From:      Jake Hamby <jehamby@be.com>
To:        Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au>
Cc:        <hackers@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: Anyone tried VirtualPC with FreeBSD?
Message-ID:  <19970729000912.PM-bhtfkqph@Adam.BeOS>

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Michael Smith wrote:
>Ok.  This may be the wrmsr() call :
>
>wrmsr(u_int msr, quad_t newval)
>{
>        __asm __volatile(".byte 0x0f, 0x30" : : "A" (newval), "c" (msr));
>}
>
>which is conditional on the CPU type reported being a P5 or P6, which
>is what it claims to be.
>
>It would be very interesting if you were to build a GENERIC kernel,
>stick it on a bootstrap-enabled floppy (do you know how to build a
>bootable FreeBSD floppy? ask if not), and modify calibrate_clocks in
>sys/i386/isa/clock.c to remove the wrmsr() call.
>
>You might also try removing the code that calls rdtsc() towards the
>bottom.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to play around with this any further.
Thanks for tracking this down, though.  I suspect FreeBSD is doing the
right thing.  At least if anyone else complains that FreeBSD isn't
compatible with VirtualPC in the future, you'll have a starting point from
which to try patching the problem.

Also, I'll go ahead and forward your mail to Connectix tech support, just
to let them know an area of their emulation that might be weak.

By the way, I just installed a PC Compatibility Card that was lying around
here, and it does boot FreeBSD, but it's completely impossible to install,
because the card provides absolutely no support for hard drive, floppy
drive, CD-ROM drive, or network!  All of those functions are supported
through 16-bit real mode drivers, which means you can only use this card
for DOS, Windows 3.1, or Windows 95.  :(

Cheers,
Jake



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