slackware-i686

AxXium · 05-24-2005, 10:42 AM

Does anyone know how to optimize Slackware for i686 (Intel Pentium 4)?

I googled around and saw a group had asked Patrick for permission to create Slackware-i686.org, but I can't find that it has happened. I really, really love slackware and would love to optimize for my machine. I'm just cluless how to do so.

Any ideas would be apreciated greatly

gbonvehi · 05-24-2005, 10:44 AM

You can recompile every package but using -march=i686 instead of i486 or i386. Recompiling is not so difficult if you use SlackBuild scripts that Slackware sources provide.

Example, you want to recompile X for 686: goto http://ftp.scarlet.be/pub/slackware/.../source/x/x11/ (or have this from your CD).
Download all that stuff into some directory. Edit the x11.SlackBuild script and change:

Code:

VERSION=6.8.2
export ARCH=${ARCH:-i486}
BUILD=${BUILD:-1}

if [ "$ARCH" = "i386" ]; then
  SLKCFLAGS="-O2 -march=i386 -mcpu=i686"
elif [ "$ARCH" = "i486" ]; then
  SLKCFLAGS="-O2 -march=i486 -mcpu=i686"
elif [ "$ARCH" = "s390" ]; then
  SLKCFLAGS="-O2"
elif [ "$ARCH" = "x86_64" ]; then
  SLKCFLAGS="-O2"
fi

to

Code:

VERSION=6.8.2
export ARCH=${ARCH:-i686}
BUILD=${BUILD:-1}

SLKCFLAGS="-O2 -march=i686 -mcpu=i686"

AxXium · 05-24-2005, 10:49 AM

Ok, you just went way over my head, lol

I assume you are talking about the source files which I can find on the discs 3 & 4 for slackware 10.1

Is this correct.

Is there a guide to doing this?

Do I recompile using the source like this?

./configure

make

make_install

Please point me to where I can find detailed info.

Could I make my own installation iso's optimized for i686?

davidsrsb · 05-24-2005, 10:52 AM

Switching to a 2.6 kernel will probably have far more effect on speed than cpu optimisation. The rare exceptions are multimedia apps like mplayer, which usually have P4 detection anyway.

AxXium · 05-24-2005, 10:58 AM

Where does one find the latest list of minimum software requirements needed to upgrade kernels? I looked at www.kernel.org but didn't find that info.

I want to optimize my entire system for fun. Is there a guide out there for this?

gbonvehi · 05-24-2005, 11:07 AM

If you use SlackBuild scripts, you just have to run them, they will configure & compile the packages for you, the only thing left is to install them.

The minimum software required for upgrading a kernel is on the README file inside the kernel sources. Basically it needs a compiler and some tools that you get when you make a full Slackware install.

ringwraith · 05-24-2005, 11:13 AM

mianve, no offense meant by my comments. If you do not understead some of the answers you have already been given, I would advise you to just use Slack for awhile and learn a bit more about Linux, Slackware, compiler flags and such.

jong357 · 05-24-2005, 12:16 PM

Yea, your looking at ALOT of work to recompile all your packages, especially if your not sure what your doing in the first place.... Months worth in fact (depending on whether or not you did a full install).. It's not really worth it in my book... You won't even notice any visible speed gain anyway...

dhave · 05-24-2005, 12:37 PM

As a relative noob who's gotten himself in over his head more than once, I agree that ringwraith's comment is worth heeding. There are plenty of other challenging things you can do as you configure and tweak Slackware that are both less risky and more rewarding.

If you really want to build a distro from scratch, you probably know that there are several compile-from-source distros that are made for this kind of thing. Linux From Scratch is one of the best known. The documentation is good at leading you through the process, but you still have to discipline yourself to stop and understand why you're entering the commands you're entering. Otherwise you can go through most of the process like a typist who enters data at the keyboard without even being conscious of what's being typed.

And everyone should take a stab at compiling Gentoo. I tried a few months back and learned quite a bit, though I eventually gave up 'cause I needed to use my computer for the kind of work that puts food on the table.

Meanwhile, Slack off a bit and have fun exploring the best teaching distro you're likely to run across (the one you're already using).

MMYoung · 05-24-2005, 01:31 PM

Most of Slackware's packages are "optimized" for the i686 CPU by default. If you will notice in the gbonvehi post above the package is optimized as follows:

-march=i486 -mcpu-i686

What that does is build the package so that it will install on a 486 PC but will take advantage of the 686 processor "enhancements" when installed on one. The speed/processor specific difference between a program compiled with "-march=i686", or even "-march=pentium4", and "-march=i486 -mcpu=i686" can not be registered by the human mind.

I've "tinkered" with source based distro's and the few seconds difference between their KDE/GNOME load time and Slackware's KDE/GNOME load time ain't worth the HOURS UPON HOURS (and in some instances DAYS) of compile time necessary to get that few seconds load time difference.

Let me qualify that by saying if that is what you want to do then by all means go for it! I don't have a problem with any of the source based distro's, to each his own. It's your time and PC, just don't expect {insert name of DE here} to load that much faster than the stock Slackware "stuff".

MHO,
MMYoung