Multi-processor systems

[Knighttime]

I am a relative novice when it comes to Linux...

Question: Running on a Dual Pentium 233 processor system. I was wondering if there are any normal compile switches that would use both processors to do a 'Make' with.

If it was compiled on a system with one processor and then run it on a dual processor system, will it take advantage of the extra CPU cycles?

Sorry if this sounds strange. I have an older system that locks up when I try to install W2K or NT4 on it if I have two processors installed. Under Linux, it doesn't lock up. The processors are on a riser-type card and the last time I installed RH 8.0, forgot to put the other processor back in.

Thanks,
Knighttime

[Dedpoet]

Passing "-j3" to make is the usual practice on a dual processor system. This should speed up the build process, but your kernel should already be using both processors when it's doing work. You don't have to do anything special to the program to make is use both procs.

[Rhonwyn]

One thing you have to do is make sure the kernel has SMP enabled. That will make sure that the kernel uses both processors.

[QuerySEQ]

Dual Processors. I just built me first, dual P-III 600, has RH8, 512mb Ram.

When I installed RH8, it only did a build for 1 Processor. I ran a monitor graph on it, and the second processor is not being used. I read about SMP and saw the kernel did not have that running. I went and recompiled the kernel with SMP, but it failed every time. I tried many different ways of building the kernel, inluding downloading a new src.

Again, turning on SMP is causing some issues. I quit messing with it.

I would like to start working on that again. HOW-TO FAQ I was reading was vague at best.

I'm doing some searches, but lost as always. Any ideas would be helpful

QSEQ

[fryfrog]

if you are using rh, just do "rhn_register" and make a user/pass and email. you don't need to fill out the next page at all, hit next a few times...

then run "up2date kernel-smp"

you may need to run "up2date --configure" and find the option that lets you install kernels (i think its off by default to protect you).

alternatly, you can just grab the kernel-smp .rpm file and "rpm -ivh" it, but you will need to do a little messing around with lilo. depends on how familier you are with rh :)