[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Good optimize idea! (Re: ramblings about old hardware, gzip, bz2, and pentium opts)



Onno <Onno@Willem.Alexanderschool.nl> writes:

> At 03:04 PM 12/6/99 +0100, Tomasz Wegrzanowski wrote:
> [snip]
> >Didnt mean : use 486-or-better-only instructions
> >Mean : use optimalizations for 486 using only 386-or-better instructions
> >Is this ok ?
> >486 is much more similar to modern hardware than 386 was.
> 
> This sounds reasonable. 
> 
> The old i386 stuff can still run it, but the binaries are 
> optimized for somewhat modern hardsware. 
> 
> Great idea indeed!

gcc will ALWAYS produce code that runs on a i386, as I was
told. Exceptions of cause are direct asm instructions in the code
(like MMX optimizations).

Its actually not a good idea, since slow systems will be even slower,
fast systems will be slower and a very few machines with the exact
hardware optimized for will gain a little bit.

Also optimization is only worth for maybe 10-20 Package in Debian, so
if you find one of them too slow patch it to compile for various
optimizations and create multiple packages. (like gzip, gzip-mmx,
gzip-P2 or similar).

May the Source be with you.
			Goswin


Reply to: