processor support:

This article, last of the original three done altogether in 1990, on getting the critical pieces functioning independantly that we needed to do the port. Once these we obtained, the kernel was inevitable.

Originally the test framework to prove kernel parts work in the environment of an protected mode program running on the "raw" machine, this became the bootstrap environment to later load and start the kernel in system operation.

Booting a kernel didn't require all of this - but by extending support, we had a "mini kernel" like functionality. Dillemma - how much do you let the boostrap/loader actually do? We chose after the kernel was up to have it to the most - but this answer is subject to review.

We initialized the processor with initial descriptor and page tables - one needs to run with the tables before activating memory/interrupt kernel functions.