Topic: Strange memory shortage

[Tom]

I've just installed e-smith 5.1.2 and appear to be missing some of the memory in the system. The system has 1.5 GB but the OS says:

BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
 BIOS-e820: 0009f000 @ 00000000 (usable)
 BIOS-e820: 3fef0000 @ 00100000 (usable)
Warning only 896MB will be used.

I've even removed a stick of memory and nadda difference.

I am running the 2.2.19-7.0.8smp kernel with e-smith. I thought it might be a bios issue but I have an identical machine running RedHar 7.1 with the 2.4.9-21smp kernel and it properly reports all 1.5 GB of the memory.

Other than that the system runs fine.

Anyone familiar with this kind of wierdness?

[MK]

The difference between your two systems, being of course that one is running 2.2.19 and the other is 2.4.9 ...

The 2.2 series kernels had an upper limit of just under 1 gig of RAM without additional patches.  As the SME Server ships with the standard RedHat kernel (non-enterprise), it lacks these patches and hence you don't see all the RAM in the box.

[Tom]

Thanks much.

As long as there is a rational explanation I'm happy. I have no desire to starting patching an OS for a couple of extra meg. I'm sure the 2.2 kernel will be quite happy and capable with ~1Gig RAM.

So it would seem I have an extra 256 Meg for the 2.4 kernel machinbe - development

Thanks much!