Why is -msoft-float used in Kernel compilation?

[Troy Benjegerdes]

On Sun, 14 Feb 1999, Michel Lanners wrote:

> 
> On  13 Feb, this message from Gavriel State echoed through cyberspace:
> > 
> > I can understand using -msoft-float if CONFIG__8xx is on,
> > but why use it when compiling for 60x or 7x0 CPUs?
> 
> I've heard something about a 'no floiting point in kernel' rule, and
> I've tried compiling without -msoft-float.... it does boot, but it's an
> ugly sight... fp warning messages all over!
> 
> I have, however, never seen a clear explanation of why that rule
> exists...

I'm not sure, but I believe it's an optimization to allow the kernel to
not have to save floating point registers on every context switch.

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