how do I enable SMP(?)

mickham · 11-01-2004, 07:37 AM

Hi everyone!

I recently got an Intergraph TD-30 dual processor 133MHz pentium with 128MB ram. I managed to install debian 3.0 woody, and now I'm wondering how can I enable the second processor. I have already searched linuxquestions.org forums + google, and still I don't seem to get a direct answer. But I admit, I'm a total

So, when I cat /proc/cpuinfo it says:
processor: 0
the other info seems to be right. I'm not sure what that zero means, but i assume it means that my debian (3.0 woody) recognizes only one of my two processors.

Well, the only solution I could found to this problem was that I should recompile the kernel with smp support? Is that really the only way to enable the other processor? My current kernel is 2.2.

So, if there's anyone around who could help me step by step I would be veery thankful!

edit: found another problem also: every now and then the machine says "eth0 bus master arbitration failure". I've tried to disable eth0 (in fact gnome control center says it is), but the message still keeps showing up. I really would like to use eth0, so if you can find a solution to this problem also, my gratitude would be doubled

- Mick

acid_kewpie · 11-01-2004, 07:54 AM

you're running a 2.2 kernel on debian 3.0 ????? you know that that kernel branch is obscenely old now....?

basically you want to recompile your kernel and include smp in the processor features section, not a fun task for someone new to linux (but then debian isn't fun for someone new to Linux)

mickham · 11-01-2004, 08:03 AM

Chris, thanks for your answer.
I really would like to compile a new kernel and include the smp in it, but the thing is i don't know how to do that. Is there anyone who could help me "step by step", or at least give me big hints

perhaps you, Chris?

-Mick

acid_kewpie · 11-01-2004, 08:10 AM

there are plenty of standard kernel compilation guides out there. http://tldp.org for the kernel howto. personally i've been using Linux for more than 4 years now, and when i first started, 2.2 was already out of date..!

hkb33 · 11-01-2004, 07:47 PM

A lot of other distributions have a precompiled kernel package with SMP support built in. I can't remember if Debian has that, though.

If they do, then install the SMP version of the kernel and boot up wtih that...it will allow the system to utilize both CPU's.

It's been a few years since I toyed with Debian, so I don't know what package the SMP kernel would be named.

I hope that helps you out.