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What if I turn my x86_64 Opteron 24 core (4 numa x 6 cores) computer into single-task-machine?

Would it be possible to achieve next goals:

  1. Direct memory access to all memory levels.
  2. Absence of interruptions except user interaction. Video is running via separate Aspeed VGA chip. Also there is possible access via COM console.
  3. Running hand-written assembler program which would operate with less memory translations.
  4. While having small code controlling every core.

Would that get rid of memory fragmentation and wasting of CPU/memory resources?

Would that allow biggest possible computing power? How much more compared to casual userland software? Few percent? What microkernel works best for that purpose?

PS. I have found this http://www.templeos.org/Wb/Home/Wb2/TempleOS.html Does it work?

PS2. I am partially agree with Terry with his approach - virtual memory is thing most modern servers do NOT need. Every normal server board comes with 16 memory slots.

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  • So you actually want to take multi core CPU and try to make it to an ASIC :D Why not just use one..
    – Setekh
    Jan 15, 2016 at 17:06
  • "Virtual emory is thing most modern servers do not need." If by "virtual memory" you mean a pagefile, well, yes, sometimes you can get away without one. But you're not getting rid of virtual memory unless you go back to running, oh, MS-DOS. (Note that there are many, many files that are mapped, hence paged, so getting rid of the pagefile doesn't even get rid of paging to and from disk. It just gets rid of one out of a great many files involved involved in paging.
    – Jamie Hanrahan
    Jan 16, 2016 at 12:50

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You can check out BareMetal OS, with it's BareMetal exokernel totally written in assembly, provides single-process with multi-core capabilities and direct memory mapping, x86_64 only with tiny footprint.

https://github.com/ReturnInfinity/BareMetal-kernel

Kernel interrupts for user interaction and APIs for C programming.

If you're into hardcore stuff, you want to look at this.

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