Memory protection

[Mario Becroft <mb@tos.pl.net>]

I recall there was some discussion recently about memory protection, and
how it tends to be problematic at the moment, particularly in relation to
GEM programs. I've just been thinking about this, and here are my ideas.

First, the current situation:

* Memory protecton is supposed to make the system more stable, so it's not
much use if it makes GEM programs crash all the time. (What's more, on my
TT it crashes even when login runs.)

So here's my suggestion:

* Have an option for write protection but not read protection. This would
still ensure the added stability, and I'm not so concerned about security
that I would mind the lack of protection on reading. And I think it should
avoid most of the problems with GEM programs, am I right?

* Perhaps an option to protect the kernal but nothing else. Hopefully this
would mean that while other programs could be affected, the whole system
would not be brought down by a faulty write. This would also avoid the
problems with GEM programs.

While you can say "it's the fault of the GEM programs", the fact is that
while there are many programs with that fault, I will not be able to use
memory protection unless the problems are worked around.

Does this make sense?

-- 
Mario Becroft                        Auckland, New Zealand
mb@tos.pl.net                    http://www.pl.net/~mario/      |\__/,|   (`\
Tariland, Atari Support in New Zealand                        _.|o o  |_   ) )
tariland@tos.pl.net     http://www.pl.net/~mario/tariland/ --(((---(((--------