Why can't I set my cpu type in kernel config ?

[pulley at dabus.com]

>> I am installing 8.3-RELEASE on an old 900mhz pentium laptop ... it's an
>> i686 CPU.
>>
>> By default, GENERIC has "HAMMER" as the cpu, and that isn't working.  So
>> I tried both:
>
> you've got into wrong directory
>
> /usr/src/sys/i386/conf is right
>
> /usr/src/sys/amd64/conf is wrong, unless you have 64-bit CPU which you
> don't
>
>>
>> cpu     I586_CPU
>>
>> and:
>>
>> cpu     I686_CPU
>>
> this is right setting.


Another possible explanation... How old is this 900Mhz Pentium laptop?
Some Pentium D/Celeron D processors (2004) are 64bit, although I don't
know if they made any of the D's less than 1.2GHz... but if so the OP
could have installed amd64.