1 files changed, 34 insertions, 19 deletions

diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/head.c b/arch/x86/kernel/head.c
index 48d9d4ea1020..992f442ca155 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/head.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/head.c
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
 #include <asm/setup.h>
 #include <asm/bios_ebda.h>
 
-#define BIOS_LOWMEM_KILOBYTES 0x413
-
 /*
  * The BIOS places the EBDA/XBDA at the top of conventional
  * memory, and usually decreases the reported amount of
@@ -16,17 +14,30 @@
  * chipset: reserve a page before VGA to prevent PCI prefetch
  * into it (errata #56). Usually the page is reserved anyways,
  * unless you have no PS/2 mouse plugged in.
+ *
+ * This functions is deliberately very conservative.  Losing
+ * memory in the bottom megabyte is rarely a problem, as long
+ * as we have enough memory to install the trampoline.  Using
+ * memory that is in use by the BIOS or by some DMA device
+ * the BIOS didn't shut down *is* a big problem.
  */
+
+#define BIOS_LOWMEM_KILOBYTES   0x413
+#define LOWMEM_CAP              0x9f000U        /* Absolute maximum */
+#define INSANE_CUTOFF           0x20000U        /* Less than this = insane */
+
 void __init reserve_ebda_region(void)
 {
         unsigned int lowmem, ebda_addr;
 
-        /* To determine the position of the EBDA and the */
-        /* end of conventional memory, we need to look at */
-        /* the BIOS data area. In a paravirtual environment */
-        /* that area is absent. We'll just have to assume */
-        /* that the paravirt case can handle memory setup */
-        /* correctly, without our help. */
+        /*
+         * To determine the position of the EBDA and the
+         * end of conventional memory, we need to look at
+         * the BIOS data area. In a paravirtual environment
+         * that area is absent. We'll just have to assume
+         * that the paravirt case can handle memory setup
+         * correctly, without our help.
+         */
         if (paravirt_enabled())
                 return;
 
@@ -37,19 +48,23 @@ void __init reserve_ebda_region(void)
         /* start of EBDA area */
         ebda_addr = get_bios_ebda();
 
-        /* Fixup: bios puts an EBDA in the top 64K segment */
-        /* of conventional memory, but does not adjust lowmem. */
-        if ((lowmem - ebda_addr) <= 0x10000)
-                lowmem = ebda_addr;
+        /*
+         * Note: some old Dells seem to need 4k EBDA without
+         * reporting so, so just consider the memory above 0x9f000
+         * to be off limits (bugzilla 2990).
+         */
+
+        /* If the EBDA address is below 128K, assume it is bogus */
+        if (ebda_addr < INSANE_CUTOFF)
+                ebda_addr = LOWMEM_CAP;
 
-        /* Fixup: bios does not report an EBDA at all. */
-        /* Some old Dells seem to need 4k anyhow (bugzilla 2990) */
-        if ((ebda_addr == 0) && (lowmem >= 0x9f000))
-                lowmem = 0x9f000;
+        /* If lowmem is less than 128K, assume it is bogus */
+        if (lowmem < INSANE_CUTOFF)
+                lowmem = LOWMEM_CAP;
 
-        /* Paranoia: should never happen, but... */
-        if ((lowmem == 0) || (lowmem >= 0x100000))
-                lowmem = 0x9f000;
+        /* Use the lower of the lowmem and EBDA markers as the cutoff */
+        lowmem = min(lowmem, ebda_addr);
+        lowmem = min(lowmem, LOWMEM_CAP); /* Absolute cap */
 
         /* reserve all memory between lowmem and the 1MB mark */
         memblock_reserve(lowmem, 0x100000 - lowmem);