fbsd 6-stable i386 in server amd64

[Martin Cracauer]

Roberto Lima wrote on Mon, Sep 25, 2006 at 12:11:51PM -0300: 
> Hi all,
> I have an server dual opteron dual core, with 4gb ram but freebsd
> 6.1-stable i386..
> My system ignores 4gb ram, and shows only 3.3gb.
> How I do to build kernel amd64 in i386? its possible? And the option
> PAE in kernel i386, works if i compile with kernel i386 in my server?

You need two things, not one:

1) the BIOS must allow you to remap the space from 3-4 GB to above 4 GB

2) Once that memory is above 4 GB you either need 
   - a 32 bit kernel with PAE
   - or a 64 bit kernel
   to use it

A 64 bit kernel is not neccessary if you have working PAE in 32 bit
(FreeBSD-6.x does, Win XP SP2 does not).

A 64 bit kernel does *not* solve the problem if the BIOS doesn't
correctly remap (step 1).

Since you seem to have a dual-940 system with 4 cores total that
implies a server-class mainboard.  These usually have working remap,
but a BIOS update might be required.  It was for my HDAMB.

In the future you want to include information about what mainboard
exactly you are using.

Martin
-- 
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Martin Cracauer <cracauer at cons.org>   http://www.cons.org/cracauer/
FreeBSD - where you want to go, today.      http://www.freebsd.org/