Re: [gentoo-user] single core athlon?

[Walter Dnes]

On Mon, Jan 08, 2018 at 08:44:04PM -0600, R0b0t1 wrote

> I was under the impression that disabling SMP on single core systems
> could lead to a performance increase, but wasn't necessary.

  Quote from the "Help" in "make menuconfig" from the CONFIG_SMP item:


This enables support for systems with more than one CPU. If you have
a system with only one CPU, say N. If you have a system with more
than one CPU, say Y.

If you say N here, the kernel will run on uni- and multiprocessor
machines, but will use only one CPU of a multiprocessor machine. If
you say Y here, the kernel will run on many, but not all,
uniprocessor machines. On a uniprocessor machine, the kernel
will run faster if you say N here.


> Is the deciding factor actually processor family? And - there are GCC
> versions or distributions that have already dropped support for x86_64
> processors? I'd only read about 32 bit families being dropped.

  I think you're misunderstanding me.  This is not about dropping x86_64
support.  Rather, the earliest "Athlon" models came out *BEFORE* AMD
introduced 64-bit support, and therefore support only 32-bit mode.
Similarly Intel Pentium3 cpus support only 32-bit mode.

-- 
Walter Dnes 
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications

Re: [gentoo-user] single core athlon?

[R0b0t1]

On Mon, Jan 8, 2018 at 4:43 PM, Walter Dnes  wrote:
>   There are "athlons" and then there are "athlons".  Check the gcc page
> https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-6.4.0/gcc/x86-Options.html#x86-Options
> for an idea of what's what.  You need at least the "k8" version.  The
> ultimate way to find out is to download the amd64 minimal install ISO
> https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:AMD64/Full/Installation#Obtain_the_media
> and try to boot off it.
>

I was under the impression that disabling SMP on single core systems
could lead to a performance increase, but wasn't necessary.

Is the deciding factor actually processor family? And - there are GCC
versions or distributions that have already dropped support for x86_64
processors? I'd only read about 32 bit families being dropped.

Re: [gentoo-user] single core athlon?

[Walter Dnes]

On Mon, Jan 08, 2018 at 04:15:57AM +0100, mad.scientist.at.la...@tutanota.com 
wrote
> Does any body know if it's possible to set up gentoo on a single core
> 64 bit athlon, old socket 754?  I tried another distro and it said
> it didn't support non-smp 64 bit.  If not i'll have to put some 32
> bit os on it.  I'm planning to use it mostly for a local boot server
> for os installs or possibly firewall, maybe eventual honey pot since
> it is low energy usage.  I know it's not supported by current BSD
> or windows.  Thanks.

  There are "athlons" and then there are "athlons".  Check the gcc page
https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-6.4.0/gcc/x86-Options.html#x86-Options
for an idea of what's what.  You need at least the "k8" version.  The
ultimate way to find out is to download the amd64 minimal install ISO
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:AMD64/Full/Installation#Obtain_the_media
and try to boot off it.

-- 
Walter Dnes 
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications

Re: [gentoo-user] single core athlon?

[Dale]

Alan McKinnon wrote:
> I have one of those under my desk at home. Finally switched it off for
> the last time about 2 months ago.
>
> So yes, you can run 64 bit Gentoo on it just fine. Make the
> appropriate changes in make.conf and away you go.
>
> Just because distro X does not support cpu Y in mode Z does not mean
> that the compiler doesn't support it.
>
> On Mon, Jan 8, 2018 at 5:15 AM,  > wrote:
>
> Does any body know if it's possible to set up gentoo on a single
> core 64 bit athlon, old socket 754?  I tried another distro and it
> said it didn't support non-smp 64 bit.  If not i'll have to put
> some 32 bit os on it.  I'm planning to use it mostly for a local
> boot server for os installs or possibly firewall, maybe eventual
> honey pot since it is low energy usage.   I know it's not
> supported by current BSD or windows.  Thanks.
>
> mad.scientist.at.large (a good madscientist)
> -- 
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Alan McKinnon
> alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com


If one were to boot a sysrescue image/disk/DVD, wouldn't that show
whether Gentoo would work or not, since it is based off of Gentoo?  If
so, that would be a fast way to know for sure. 

Dale

:-)  :-) 

Re: [gentoo-user] single core athlon?

[mad.scientist.at.large]

Thank you, I only tried another distro for quick checking of hardware.  current 
bsd (at least netbsd) doesn't so i figured that if it's possible at all Gentoo 
would be the way to go, besides i prefer to only use one distro at a time, 
though i've spent some time with 3 brands of mainframe all with a different os 
and picked up some Cobol, fortunately not much cobol.   it'll only be doing 
lite duty and probably won't even be on all the time, but i like playing so 
another machine helps and i might have some light lifting where the power 
savings would be nice if it's always on.

mad.scientist.at.large (a good madscientist)
--
God bless the rich, the greedy and the corrupt politicians they have put into 
office.   God bless them for helping me do the right thing by giving the rich 
my little pile of cash.  After all, the rich know what to do with money.


7. Jan 2018 23:46 by alan.mckin...@gmail.com:


> I have one of those under my desk at home. Finally switched it off for the 
> last time about 2 months ago.
>
> So yes, you can run 64 bit Gentoo on it just fine. Make the appropriate 
> changes in make.conf and away you go.
>
> Just because distro X does not support cpu Y in mode Z does not mean that the 
> compiler doesn't support it.
>
> On Mon, Jan 8, 2018 at 5:15 AM,  <> mad.scientist.at.la...@tutanota.com> > 
> wrote:
>
>>   >> Does any body know if it's possible to set up gentoo on a 
>> single core 64 bit athlon, old socket 754?  I tried another distro and it 
>> said it didn't support non-smp 64 bit.  If not i'll have to put some 32 bit 
>> os on it.  I'm planning to use it mostly for a local boot server for os 
>> installs or possibly firewall, maybe eventual honey pot since it is low 
>> energy usage.   I know it's not supported by current BSD or windows.  Thanks.
>>
>> mad.scientist.at.large (a good madscientist)
>> --
>>   
>
>
>
> -- 
> Alan McKinnon
> alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com

Re: [gentoo-user] single core athlon?

[Alan McKinnon]

I have one of those under my desk at home. Finally switched it off for the
last time about 2 months ago.

So yes, you can run 64 bit Gentoo on it just fine. Make the appropriate
changes in make.conf and away you go.

Just because distro X does not support cpu Y in mode Z does not mean that
the compiler doesn't support it.

On Mon, Jan 8, 2018 at 5:15 AM,  wrote:

> Does any body know if it's possible to set up gentoo on a single core 64
> bit athlon, old socket 754?  I tried another distro and it said it didn't
> support non-smp 64 bit.  If not i'll have to put some 32 bit os on it.  I'm
> planning to use it mostly for a local boot server for os installs or
> possibly firewall, maybe eventual honey pot since it is low energy usage.
> I know it's not supported by current BSD or windows.  Thanks.
>
> mad.scientist.at.large (a good madscientist)
> --
>



-- 
Alan McKinnon
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com

[gentoo-user] single core athlon?

[mad.scientist.at.large]

Does any body know if it's possible to set up gentoo on a single core 64 bit 
athlon, old socket 754?  I tried another distro and it said it didn't support 
non-smp 64 bit.  If not i'll have to put some 32 bit os on it.  I'm planning to 
use it mostly for a local boot server for os installs or possibly firewall, 
maybe eventual honey pot since it is low energy usage.   I know it's not 
supported by current BSD or windows.  Thanks.

mad.scientist.at.large (a good madscientist)
--