I am currently running debian etch on a IBM netfinitty 5600. It has dual core capabilites but i have been running it with only one processor. so i bought another off ebay so I could have a dually.

1. I am pretty sure debain supports dual processors but I will ask anyway to be safe. Does debian support dual pentium 3 667 slot one processors?

2. If I put the processor in, the next time I boot will it detect and change accordingly. Or will i have to change some configurations so it will take advantage of the newly installed CPU?

thanks and let me know if you need more info!

You will need to manually install the smp kernel and boot with it to use both processors.

Having both processors present, but only running one of them with the normal kernel is OK, so go ahead and stick the second one in.

My only question is: “Why didn’t you buy TWO faster CPUs?”

FYI: You normally need to add a voltage regulator module (VRM) to a P3 motherboard when you add a second CPU to a dual processor capable P3 systems.

yea i should have upgraded to the blistering 1ghz slot one processor! damn all the speed i have lost. haha

I didnt want to invest more then $25 and the one 667 was 19 after shipping.

SMP kernel? is that a kernel built for duals? is there a how to somewhere you could point me.

For each debian kernel package, there is a corresponding smp (symmetric multiprocessing) package for using more than one cpu.

Install the *-smp package corresponding to your architecture (i.e., corresponding to the kernel you are currently running). It’s literally the same kernel package name you originally installed, but with “-smp” at the end.

ooo well thats nice. I was reading about building a smp kernel last night and did not even think of looking for it as a debian package.

thank god for APT!!