Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 20:08:15 -0400 From: Louis LeBlanc <freebsd@keyslapper.org> To: FreeBSD Questions <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org> Subject: Version query for a new machine Message-ID: <20040612000815.GC88919@keyslapper.org>
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Hey everyone. After my CPU fan (or was it the hard drive?) spent a day or two screeching constantly at high frequencies (and volume), I finally broke down and ordered a new PC. The problem is what to install on it. The new system is a Dell Dimension 8300, w/P4 @ 3.0 Ghz, HT etc. The video card is a 128M NVidia GeForce, and I want to make sure the sound works, which should be easy enough (SB Live! 5.1). It's gonna be strange after working for years on the same systems at 400-450 Mhz! The real decision isn't whether to install FreeBSD (it *will* be FreeBSD dedicated), but which version? I want it to be reasonably stable, so CURRENT is probably out. I'm running RELENG_4_10 now, which I like just fine, but I'm not sure if this will take advantage of the HT tech in the processor. /usr/src/UPDATING has the following on the subject: Support for HyperThread logical CPUs has now been enabled by default. As a result, the HTT kernel option no longer exists. Instead, the logical CPUs are always started so that they can handle interrupts. However, the extra logical CPUs are prevented from executing user processes by default. To enable the logical CPUs, change the value of the machdep.hlt_logical_cpus from 1 to 0. This value can also be set from the loader as a tunable of the same name. I'm not an SMP guru (or even a novice) but that sounds like it will take full advantage if I simply make the specified sysctrl configuration change (finding the sysctrl documentation is tricky enough in itself). I know nobody is going to "guarantee" their answer to this one, but is RELENG_5_2 reliable enough for a moderately loaded system? If it is, are the gains worth the supposedly lower stability? Would I even notice this, going from a 400Mhz to a 3.0Ghz? I don't put much load on except when upgrading ports, munging photos, etc, but I plan to do some Perl, C/C++ and Java/Tomcat/webapp development on it in the near future, and I'd like to finally be able to compile OpenOffice.org. I may also take it for a test drive with a game or two (particularly if I get wine working), which might push the envelope a bit. If 4.10 is the best route for now, what kind of pain factor will the upgrade to 5.x be when the time comes? I typically keep over 300 ports installed, so I expect that alone will be kinda ugly to work with (See the corrolary to Murphy at the bottom). Since I haven't got the system yet (about 10 days out), I'd like to have an idea where to start *before* I get it - once I do, it will be too late to plan, because I'll probably just stop thinking objectively until I have it up and running. Hence the need for a plan beforehand :) Thanks in advance Lou -- Louis LeBlanc leblanc@keyslapper.org Fully Funded Hobbyist, KeySlapper Extrordinaire :) http://www.keyslapper.org ԿԬ Interchangeable parts won't.
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