Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:53:45 -0600 From: Scott Long <scottl@samsco.org> To: Julian Elischer <julian@elischer.org> Cc: d@delphij.net, freebsd-arch@freebsd.org Subject: Re: [PATCH] Utilize i686, SSE and MMX by default on FreeBSD/i386 Message-ID: <5BED0721-442C-44B3-8B23-3D94BE5354A9@samsco.org> In-Reply-To: <4BA3C41F.3000404@elischer.org> References: <4BA2CE17.2050105@delphij.net> <201003190751.26767.jhb@freebsd.org> <4BA3C41F.3000404@elischer.org>
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On Mar 19, 2010, at 12:36 PM, Julian Elischer wrote: > John Baldwin wrote: >> On Thursday 18 March 2010 9:06:31 pm Xin LI wrote: >>> Hi, >>>=20 >>> I think it doesn't really make sense to by default use = MACHINE_CPU=3Di486 >>> when the kernel is built with SSE by default today. >>>=20 >>> Attached patch uses i686 SSE MMX by default, the user can always = change >>> the default setting by overriding CPUTYPE (they have to do it as SSE = is >>> enabled by default for several years). >> The kernel is only built with support for userland applications using = SSE, it does not _use_ SSE. Similarly, the kernel is built with support = for PG_NX provided on 64-bit processors, but it does not do so by = failing to support older 32-bit processors. I think this change is = premature. Users can already set CPUTYPE in make.conf. Also, most = modern x86 server-class machines are >> 64-bit in which case they would be running FreeBSD/amd64 and using = SSE >> already. >=20 >=20 > and a lot of low power boxes (e.g. soekris) are 586 class. >=20 Are these machines typically installed via a GENERIC kernel from = freebsd.org release CD's? Maybe there's a market to create a new = mini-distribution tailored for these devices. It would come with a = suitable kernel and install/setup tools. Scott
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