I know that the x86 architecture is what Intel and AMD chips use, but what are the differences between i386, i486, i586, and i686? Can those be directly related to certain generations of chips (P2, P4, etc.) or is there more that goes into determining which category a chip falls into?

That's a pretty good question, as I have wondered the same myself. I would like to see some hardcore evidence explaining which processors fit into which architecture.

I explained it in other posts so do a search in this forum.

Found it, Electro

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...22#post1015522

So what are you trying to say in your other post? I should compile my new kernels as x686(I believe it says PIII instead of x686 in the menu when compiling) since I have a PIII tualatin, instead of x386 like Slackware 10 defaults upon install with their 2.4.26 kernel?

For i686 or 80686, it can work with 80686 instructions all the way down to 8086. Though Linux stops at 80386 instructions and Intel processors are better if the instruction is the same instruction architecture as the processor architecture. For AMD processors, you can use 80386 instructions with out any performance penalty. Compiling the kernel with 80386 or 80486 memory. The kernel will not take a lot memory, so Linux will use the extra memory for buffers, cache, and shared memory.

I thought Slackware 10 kernel was compiled for 80486 but it also has MMX, 3DNow, SECC, SECC2 instructions compiled with it.

So I take it you're saying to compile new kernels for my processor as either x386, or x486, not as PIII?

No I did not say that. I said try to compile it as 686 but make sure you compile it with the multimedia instructions.