Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 15:38:41 -0800 From: Mike Smith <msmith@freebsd.org> To: Sergey Babkin <babkin@bellatlantic.net> Cc: heckfordj@psi-domain.co.uk, freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Pentium 4 Message-ID: <200012222338.eBMNcfj06065@mass.osd.bsdi.com> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Fri, 22 Dec 2000 18:22:19 EST." <3A43E22B.61A7A49C@bellatlantic.net>
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> Mike Smith wrote:
> >
> > > Is there now support for the Pentium 4 in FreeBSD??
> >
> > We've always run on the P4.
> >
> > > If so, is there an option such as CPUCLASS 786 in the Kernel??
> >
> > No, it's still a 686.
>
> Basically, there are 3 possible issues for Pentium4:
>
> - higher clock frequency (also for newer P3) may cause overflow
> in counters of delay loops - hopefully this does not happen in
> FreeBSD
We calibrate our delay loops. 8)
> - microcode download: it got new model ID, so minor tweaking may be
> needed to make sure that Pentium4 is recognised as upgradable
> (this depends on how model comparison is done for example, Linux
> needed this tweaking, UnixWare did not)
FreeBSD doesn't do microcode download; it is expected that the platform
BIOS will do this (since the download is an Intel trade secret, we are
unlikely to ever do this).
The Linux issue was actually more stupid than that; Linux won't run on a
CPU it doesn't recognise. FreeBSD will only refuse to run on a CPU it
recognises as incapable (since that is a much smaller set).
> - microcode download: CPUs must be handled one by one sequentially
> to accomodate the two-CPUs-on-one-chip technology (to exclude
> the case when two logical CPUs on the same chip are being told to
> do microcode upgrade at the same time)
See above. 8)
--
... every activity meets with opposition, everyone who acts has his
rivals and unfortunately opponents also. But not because people want
to be opponents, rather because the tasks and relationships force
people to take different points of view. [Dr. Fritz Todt]
V I C T O R Y N O T V E N G E A N C E
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