Using all of 4GB RAM... questions and Vista versus Linux...

[Linuxguy123]

On Wed, 2008-10-01 at 18:26 -0400, Bill Davidsen wrote:
> > c) I am running the 32 bit version of Linux.  Would it make any
> > difference to my RAM access if I ran the 64 bit version ?
> > 
> Maybe, but that's the solution of last resort. If you have the x86_64
> "live" CD 
> it's worth looking, but I think there are (at least) two better
> solutions. First 
> is the PAE kernel. You don't need to go diddling your setup to try it,
> just open 
> a terminal and run
>    yum install kernel-PAE
> to get a PAE kernel. Then reboot, and when the boot menu comes up,
> select the 
> PAE version. Run the free command and see if it found your memory.
> 
> The next step is to wait for the 2.6.27 kernel. WARNING: if you have
> e1000 
> hardware, don't try this kernel until the issues have been resolved,
> see the 
> kernel list, this kernel *may* make your e1000 into a brick by eating
> the flash 
> firmware. It's being worked on, it's low probability, but wait as
> week, good 
> people are trying it.
> 
> The reason 2.6.27 is desirable for you is that a lot of work has gone
> into the 
> MTRR register mapping, and it *may* be able to describe your memory
> where the 
> 2.6.26 can't. Take that for what it's worth, I would try PAE now, and
> wait until 
> 2.6.27 is patched (unless you have a totally different hardware).

Great post.  Thanks for all the advice.  I will wait and see how 2.6.72
works.   

LG