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Subject: Re: Compiling options?
From: Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
To: "Robert L. Harris" <Robert.L.Harris@rdlg.net>
Cc: Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
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On Tue, 2003-03-25 at 18:03, Robert L. Harris wrote:
> Ok, I currently manage a site with a couple hundred machines ranging
> from P2 through AMD-Durons.  The prevaling theory was to make a single
> kernel compiled for a "pentium classic" and then load in drivers for
> about everything under the sun.

If your boxes range from PII through to AMD duron build for 686, but the
basic theory is the same.

A 386 kernel really hurts later CPUs
A 486 kernel is generally fine
A 686 kernel speeds stuff up a little more

The only CPU that is really helped by a custom kernel is the rather rare
IDT winchip which is 10-30% faster with the right kernels

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