>
> > I recently acquired an AMD-K6-2 300Mhz.
> >
> > Since the pre-compiled binaries that one can download
> > from the 'net can (or are supposed to) run on a
> > garden variety i386, they are probably not
> > optimized for more modern processors.
>
> I believe they are compiled to run on the i386 Architecture as opposed to
> sparc/alpha
>
Exactly. But, if they can run on generic i386 architectures
(ie: 3/4/5/686), then they are clearly not optimized for the
latest of these processors (namely the 686 (a.k.a:PPro)).
If Pentium Pro optimizations were used in building of the binary,
the binary would simply not run on anything short of a PPro.
That's why the kernel configuration gives one the opportunity
to choose among various intel processors: the kernel
will take better advantage of the processor.
My original question, again: Which apps are worth recompiling
to get the benefits of a more advanced processor?
In other words: if I were to recompile, for example, the
X-server, would I expect a resonable performance gain over
the original binary which runs on the 80386?
> >
> > I am looking for opinions on what packages/apps
> > are worth recompiling.
> >
> > Obviously the kernel, but what about X, the X server,
> > and various applications?
> >
Bryan Scaringe
