From owner-freebsd-smp Sun Oct 15 9:38: 6 2000 Delivered-To: freebsd-smp@freebsd.org Received: from server.baldwin.cx (server.geekhouse.net [64.81.6.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5551E37B502 for ; Sun, 15 Oct 2000 09:38:03 -0700 (PDT) Received: from john.baldwin.cx (root@john.baldwin.cx [192.168.1.18]) by server.baldwin.cx (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA87134; Sun, 15 Oct 2000 09:42:58 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from john@baldwin.cx) Received: (from john@localhost) by john.baldwin.cx (8.9.3/8.9.3) id JAA15727; Sun, 15 Oct 2000 09:40:45 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from john) Message-Id: <200010151640.JAA15727@john.baldwin.cx> X-Mailer: XFMail 1.4.0 on FreeBSD X-Priority: 3 (Normal) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <01e501c0364c$3a89d5e0$aa240018@vista1.sdca.home.com> Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 09:40:45 -0700 (PDT) From: John Baldwin To: Jeremiah Gowdy Subject: RE: MP Generic Kernel Cc: freebsd-smp@FreeBSD.ORG Sender: owner-freebsd-smp@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org On 15-Oct-00 Jeremiah Gowdy wrote: > I'm wondering if we can't include a generic MP kernel in the FreeBSD > releases. Basically, on a fresh install of a dual cpu box, we find that we > have to compile the kernel and/or world on a single cpu the first time > through. It seems a simple enough matter to include kernel.smp or something > to that effect in the standard ISO/CD release so that a knowledgable FreeBSD > user/admin could interrupt the boot process, and boot kernel.smp. Perhaps > even the disk version could include a choice of a standard boot floppy or an > SMP boot floppy. It's not as though releases are every other day, so it > doesn't seem that this would be all that great of a chore, and it would > allow those of us who admin alot of SMP boxes to save us a single cpu > buildworld. The only reason I suggest this is that it is my understanding > that with the 4.1/4.1.1 releases one must buildworld before compiling > kernel. On the older systems, one would simply compile an SMP kernel and > reboot and be up and running dual cpus for the buildworld. Anyhow, just a > suggestion. You can simply build a SMP kernel, no need to buildworld. The reason for doing buildworlds before building the kernel is that if your /usr/src is newer than your current world, you want to make sure that the kernel tools used to build the kernel are the right versions. However, if you are installing a system and then want to build a kernel using the sources you just installed, that is quite alright and should work fine. Shipping a kernel.smp by default might be a good idea though just to make it easier, esp. now that one doesn't need to use the NCPU, NAPIC, NINTR, and NBUS variables, meaning that a generic SMP kernel should work on just about any SMP box. -- John Baldwin -- http://www.FreeBSD.org/~jhb/ PGP Key: http://www.baldwin.cx/~john/pgpkey.asc "Power Users Use the Power to Serve!" - http://www.FreeBSD.org/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-smp" in the body of the message