Path: bga.com!news.sprintlink.net!sundog.tiac.net!usenet From: mdor...@mallet.tiac.net (michael alan dorman) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development Subject: Linux on multiple processors? Date: 20 Sep 1994 13:38:02 GMT Organization: Llamas Anonymous Lines: 18 Message-ID: <35mojq$t04@sundog.tiac.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: mallet.tiac.net X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.92.2 I was wondering if this has been considered as a possible development goal, now that the Intel multiprocessing hardware spec has been standardized? I know that MP (and specifically SMP) is sort of "trendy" these days (vis. NT and OS/2 SMP), but the particular application for which I am considering using Linux as a platform (dialin Internet host, web server, fairly high volume) seems to me to be one for which SMP might give good results--or at least make it easier to stave off the purchase of a second machine. So is this being considered, or at least batted around as a possibility? Or has it already been hashed out and discarded? I refuse to think that it hasn't occured to anyone but me. Mike.
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development Path: bga.com!news.sprintlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex! lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk!warwick!uknet!info!iialan From: iia...@iifeak.swan.ac.uk (Alan Cox) Subject: Re: Linux on multiple processors? Message-ID: < CwIxzr.Eut@info.swan.ac.uk> Sender: n...@info.swan.ac.uk Nntp-Posting-Host: iifeak.swan.ac.uk Organization: Institute For Industrial Information Technology References: <35mojq$t04@sundog.tiac.net> Date: Thu, 22 Sep 1994 09:21:27 GMT Lines: 16 In article <35mojq$...@sundog.tiac.net> mdor...@mallet.tiac.net (michael alan dorman) writes: >considering using Linux as a platform (dialin Internet host, web server, >fairly high volume) seems to me to be one for which SMP might give >good results--or at least make it easier to stave off the purchase of >a second machine. For a web server which does spread easily between machines a pile of old 386SX's with 2-4Mb of RAM is very cost effective for the job. Alan -- ..-----------,,----------------------------,,----------------------------,, // Alan Cox // iia...@www.linux.org.uk // GW4PTS@GB7SWN.#45.GBR.EU // ``----------'`----------------------------'`----------------------------''
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development Path: bga.com!news.sprintlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!EU.net!uknet!info!iialan From: iia...@iifeak.swan.ac.uk (Alan Cox) Subject: Re: Linux on multiple processors? Message-ID: < CwqMB1.M12@info.swan.ac.uk> Sender: n...@info.swan.ac.uk Nntp-Posting-Host: iifeak.swan.ac.uk Organization: Institute For Industrial Information Technology References: <35mojq$t04@sundog.tiac.net> <1994Sep20.231705.539@golem.greenie.muc.de> Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 12:49:49 GMT Lines: 23 In article <1994Sep20.231705....@golem.greenie.muc.de> a...@golem.greenie.muc.de (Andi Kleen) writes: >: I know that MP (and specifically SMP) is sort of "trendy" these days >: (vis. NT and OS/2 SMP), but the particular application for which I am >: considering using Linux as a platform (dialin Internet host, web server, >: fairly high volume) seems to me to be one for which SMP might give >: good results--or at least make it easier to stave off the purchase of >: a second machine. >: So is this being considered, or at least batted around as a possibility? >The HURD (the GNU OS) will (or is planing to) support multiprocessing >(through the Mach-kernel) For Linux doing none to smart (initially) SMP is being played with at the concept level here (pending possible hardware donations). Some other people 'viper' are working on making the Linux kernel truely threaded but that is a much bigger project. Alan -- ..-----------,,----------------------------,,----------------------------,, // Alan Cox // iia...@www.linux.org.uk // GW4PTS@GB7SWN.#45.GBR.EU // ``----------'`----------------------------'`----------------------------''
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development Path: nntp.gmd.de!xlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!swrinde!sgiblab! news.cs.indiana.edu!dwwil...@mango.ucs.indiana.edu From: "David Williams" < dwwil...@mango.ucs.indiana.edu> Subject: Multiprocessing Pentium Systems Message-ID: <1994Sep6.211029.11082@news.cs.indiana.edu> Organization: Computer Science, Indiana University Date: Tue, 6 Sep 1994 21:10:20 -0500 Lines: 10 I've just seen some new dual processor pentium systems in Computer Shopper. They look swell for the money, but there isn't a single OS that can take advantage of them. Anybody have any thoughts about how hard it might be to make Linux one of the first OS's to take advantage of these systems? David Williams Member of League for Programming Freedom dwwil...@iucf.indiana.edu Linux, PGP, the Web: I love this NET! http://www.iucf.indiana.edu Indiana University Cyclotron Facility
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development Path: bga.com!news.sprintlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!swiss.ans.net! potogold.rmii.com!gcs!mark From: m...@gcs.com (Mark Bolzern) Subject: Re: Multiprocessing Pentium Systems Organization: WorkGroup Solutions (FlagShip) & GCS, Inc. Date: Thu, 22 Sep 1994 22:39:22 GMT Message-ID: < CwJyxM.KxC@gcs.com> References: <1994Sep6.211029.11082@news.cs.indiana.edu> Lines: 17 In article <1994Sep6.211029.11...@news.cs.indiana.edu>, David Williams < dwwil...@mango.ucs.indiana.edu> wrote: > >I've just seen some new dual processor pentium systems in Computer >Shopper. They look swell for the money, but there isn't a single OS >that can take advantage of them. Anybody have any thoughts about how >hard it might be to make Linux one of the first OS's to take advantage >of these systems? Not quite true... SCO MPX will work with many of them. But it would still be good to have Linux available...... -- Mark Bolzern : m...@gcs.com USA Tel: (303) 699-7470 Fax: (303) 699-2793 WorkGroup Solutions, Inc. The FlagShip "CA-Clipper and XBase on Unix" People FlagShip is a 4GL Database Development System & XBase Porting Tool for Unix No Runtime Fees Info at ftp.wgs.com : /pub2/wgs/Filelist OR mail: i...@wgs.com
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development Path: bga.com!news.sprintlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu! utnut!torn!uunet.ca!uunet.ca!isgtec!iaplms!huw From: h...@isgtec.com (Huw Leonard) Subject: Re: Multiprocessing Pentium Systems Message-ID: < huw.157.2E832221@isgtec.com> Lines: 21 Sender: n...@isgtec.com (News Owner) Organization: ISG Technologies X-Newsreader: Trumpet for Windows [Version 1.0 Rev A] References: <1994Sep6.211029.11082@news.cs.indiana.edu> < CwJyxM.KxC@gcs.com> Date: Fri, 23 Sep 1994 18:44:49 GMT In article < CwJyxM....@gcs.com> m...@gcs.com (Mark Bolzern) writes: >>I've just seen some new dual processor pentium systems in Computer >>Shopper. They look swell for the money, but there isn't a single OS >>that can take advantage of them. Anybody have any thoughts about how >>hard it might be to make Linux one of the first OS's to take advantage >>of these systems? >Not quite true... SCO MPX will work with many of them. But it would still >be good to have Linux available...... WinNT works well on many multi-processor systems. IBM seems to be on the verge of releasing an SMP OS/2, as well. The problem, as I understand it, is that there is no firm multi-processor standard yet. The problem with working up an SMP or MPX version of Linux would be having to support all of the wierd variations of the architecture. Perhaps when manufacturers have a consistent standard, multi-processor Linux would be more feasable. Is this opinion incorrect? Comments? ------------------------------------------------------------ Huw Leonard - Speaking only for himself
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development Path: bga.com!news.sprintlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!uunet! news.unr.edu!jimi!ftlofaro From: ftlof...@unlv.edu (Frank Lofaro) Subject: Re: Multiprocessing Pentium Systems Message-ID: <1994Sep27.032131.22117@unlv.edu> Sender: n...@unlv.edu (News User) Organization: University of Nevada, Las Vegas References: <1994Sep6.211029.11082@news.cs.indiana.edu> < CwJyxM.KxC@gcs.com> < huw.157.2E832221@isgtec.com> Date: Tue, 27 Sep 94 03:21:31 GMT Lines: 35 In article < huw.157.2E832...@isgtec.com> h...@isgtec.com (Huw Leonard) writes: >In article < CwJyxM....@gcs.com> m...@gcs.com (Mark Bolzern) writes: >>>I've just seen some new dual processor pentium systems in Computer >>>Shopper. They look swell for the money, but there isn't a single OS >>>that can take advantage of them. Anybody have any thoughts about how >>>hard it might be to make Linux one of the first OS's to take advantage >>>of these systems? > >>Not quite true... SCO MPX will work with many of them. But it would still >>be good to have Linux available...... > >WinNT works well on many multi-processor systems. IBM seems to be on the verge >of releasing an SMP OS/2, as well. The problem, as I understand it, is that >there is no firm multi-processor standard yet. The problem with working up an >SMP or MPX version of Linux would be having to support all of the wierd >variations of the architecture. Perhaps when manufacturers have a consistent >standard, multi-processor Linux would be more feasable. > >Is this opinion incorrect? Comments? > >------------------------------------------------------------ >Huw Leonard - Speaking only for himself Linux should start supporting SMP now. The commerical OS's have already, and they aren't anywhere near as good as UNIX or Linux. We are supposed to be ahead of, not behind commercial operating systems. Linux is a hacker's OS, and it should be developed as hacker's would, trying innovative approaches, not always trying to go with what is stable and standardized. If people want that, and Linux they can use the non-development kernels, but as for the rest of us, now is a good time to start broadening Linux's base. It already has made a powerful impact deep into the x86 world, so work in broadening its usefulneess is a good idea.
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development Path: bga.com!news.sprintlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!EU.net!uknet!info!iialan From: iia...@iifeak.swan.ac.uk (Alan Cox) Subject: Re: Multiprocessing Pentium Systems Message-ID: < Cx3H2r.J6s@info.swan.ac.uk> Sender: n...@info.swan.ac.uk Nntp-Posting-Host: iifeak.swan.ac.uk Organization: Institute For Industrial Information Technology References: < CwJyxM.KxC@gcs.com> < huw.157.2E832221@isgtec.com> <1994Sep27.032131.22117@unlv.edu> Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 11:25:38 GMT Lines: 30 In article <1994Sep27.032131.22...@unlv.edu> ftlof...@unlv.edu (Frank Lofaro) writes: >Linux should start supporting SMP now. >The commerical OS's have already, and they aren't anywhere near as >good as UNIX or Linux. >We are supposed to be ahead of, not behind commercial operating systems. >Linux is a hacker's OS, and it should be developed as hacker's would, >trying innovative approaches, not always trying to go with what is stable >and standardized. If people want that, and Linux they can use the >non-development kernels, but as for the rest of us, now is a good time >to start broadening Linux's base. It already has made a powerful impact >deep into the x86 world, so work in broadening its usefulneess is a good >idea. Linux reflects the hardware people posess - thats one thing thats good about it - you can run it on a 4Mb 386SX, you can use old MFM drives , you can use 360K floppies. You can run X on a herc card. Until a bunch of Linux hackers have a multicpu pentium board and relevant documentation nothing will happen. So the people who want it can either 1) Buy a machine and do the job 2) Buy a machine and donate it to someone in exchange for doing the job. Alan (Speaking and looking for donations of an SMP Pentium box to the Swansea University Computer Society) 8) -- ..-----------,,----------------------------,,----------------------------,, // Alan Cox // iia...@www.linux.org.uk // GW4PTS@GB7SWN.#45.GBR.EU // ``----------'`----------------------------'`----------------------------''