Hi! Total newb here. I asked this question in another thread as a response to a post there...SO, I do not believe this will be considered cross posting (is was not my thread?). But to the point...

...I have seen in a few threads where people mention recompiling the kernel to run best on your particular CPU/hardware. Where can I learn how to do this?

If my machine (Mandrake Linux 9.0) is already set up and running, will recompiling the kernel impact it?

Is it beneficial, or even a practice to recompile other programs as well to take advantage of the particular machines hardware?

This particular machine was a set aside (from upgrades) that I decided to use as my first Linux box. It is a Celeron 1.0Ghz, with a 20GB HD and 768MB RAM. Mandrake 9.0, after it has booted, at the initial signon screen says it is running on an i686. Is that good enough? Or does recompiling the kernel make it even better?

Thanking you in advance. blah blah blah
XOXOXOXO

i686 is your processor architecture. That's the latest type atm.
MandrakeSoft tweaks the kernel for faster performance already, requiring an i586 or better processor. Normally i386 is ok for linux.
If you do recompile the kernel you may loose their tweaks.

Recompiling your software from source should make it a bit faster.

What do you plan to do with this box?

use www.google.com/linux there are lots of really good guides on how to upgrade/update your kernel.
Most linux distros have most of the features like raid or different FS or certain networking options enabled enlarging the kernel and making it slow but installable in most x86 computers.By compiling the kernel, customizing it to your needs
and circumstances (ie. server, client, laptop or just a gaming machine)it will be smaller and faster!!
It will have to take a good knowledge on the hardware of your PC like mainboard chipset, sound card? network card? if you want to access a windows PC over network (SMB)? and so on

Actually, I am already using this box as my web server hosting my own domain (just a family thing really). I let my brothers and sisters have their own pages and e-mail.

I have built another machine now too. It is an AMD Duron 1300 with a low end 10GB HD and only 256MB RAM. I am thinking about using that as an initial workstation and try to get used to Linux on other levels. If I completely convert then I will ditch XP on my P4.

I should probably try some other distros and xWindow environments. I have seen other people profess things other than KDE or Gnome. Don't remember all the names. I will have to research that too.

At 41, I am like Leonardo Davinci at 81, "I am still learning".

Thanks for the tip, rodcl!

Thanks Proud and see the post above explaining the box.

Window Managers:
Flux/Black/Open -box and Enlightenment?

Np

One other time when I installed Mandrake, I opted to use a different xWindow, I think it might have been 'black' something. Anyway, it came up with essentially an empty screen as I recall. No apps. Like in KDE and Gnome you have quite a lot of apps accessible through the menus. This had nothing. Just the option to shutdown or run a terminal (as I best recall).

I notice your subject line: "Re: Ouch, use edit, dont triple post."

I qouted this one, I should use 'Edit'? I can edit other peoples posts?

No, you can only edit your own. I mean you should have edited any afterthough replies into your post instead of clocking up two more. Saves time, space, effort, etc

I opted to install Other WMs as well as KDE and GNOME. They're often much much faster and lighter on your system resources but do need tweaking to your preferences. Sometimes just pushing the mouse buttons can help a lot

It has everything - just edit ~/.blackboxmenu (or something like - I forget - haven't had X for awhile) to make it say what you want and a right click opens up everything without any junk on a desktop you wouldn't ordinarily see much of anyway. And it's got the little toolbar with the clock on it - that's not an empty screen - that's pure wasteful eye candy.

Oh - topic. Proud's got it right, of course - recompiling seems to me to be a skill or art - you might make it faster or you might make it slower - maybe even make it not runnable at all. I had no choice - CORE requires compiling your own. I didn't know what the hell I was doing and ended up runnable and maybe fast, but I left some stuff out so have to do it again - maybe could patch or tweak, but I'm just going to start over. So, theoretically, yeah, it could make it better and it's the only way to get a truly optimal system - but practically, it would depend on thoroughly understanding your hardware and the kernel.