Re: kernel mess
On (27/09/06 21:55), Bruno Buys wrote:
> Wackojacko wrote:
> > No problem, glad it works for you as well. Now if we could only work
> > out what was wrong with the OP's setup :)
> >
> Hi again wackojacko, thanks for the interest. I am as much lost as you,
> in this.
> I kinda gave a bad name to my thread, it seems. There are three kernels
> installed here, but this isn't the real problem. Let me try to re-state
> the whole thing:
>
> I was running 2.6.8-2-k7 stock kernel on a abit kv8-pro board with a
> sempron 2600+. That was a traditional i386 install, no problem, very
> nice desktop, lots of apps installed the debian way and a few of
> compiled ones.
> Then I purchased a new cpu, a 'sempron64' 3400+. I only changed the cpu,
> the rest of the system remains the exactly same. There seems to be some
> confusion regarding the terminology of amd 64bit cpu's, as I can see
> from (1).
> After booting the new cpu, I went to see if I had software support to
> benefit from the new instructions x86_64 and sse3. There the confusion
> began. Sse3 was clarified first, it is called 'pni' (from 'prescott new
> instructions') by the kernel folks, which is why there's no 'see3' under
> my cpuinfo. x86_64 wouldn't appear anywhere, so I started to think that
> kernel-something had to be done.
> Then I begun to figure out what architecture was the new cpu. What I
> know for sure is: cpu is a 'hammer family', still unknown to the bios.
>
> bruno@frank:~$ cat /proc/cpuinfo
> processor : 0
> vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
> cpu family : 15
> model : 44
> model name : AMD Hammer Family processor - Model Unknown
> stepping : 2
> cpu MHz : 2043.279
> cache size : 256 KB
> fdiv_bug : no
> hlt_bug : no
> f00f_bug : no
> coma_bug : no
> fpu : yes
> fpu_exception : yes
> cpuid level : 1
> wp : yes
> flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge
> mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 syscall nx mmxext lm
> 3dnowext 3dnow pni
> bogomips : 4038.65
>
>
> These two kernels are installed alongside my 2.6.8-2-k7 and all of them
> boot and run and don't panic:
> kernel-image-2.6.8-11-amd64-generic - Linux kernel image for version
> 2.6.8 on generic x86_64 systems
> kernel-image-2.6.8-11-amd64-k8 - Linux kernel image for version 2.6.8 on
> AMD64 systems
>
>
> This is the exact processor:
> http://www.amdcompare.com/us-en/desktop/details.aspx?opn=SDA3400AIO3BX
>
>
> So, from the point of view of the software, I am running a 32bit system.
> But the hardware is able to run 64bit (amd64) debian-installers from (2).
>
> Firstly, I need to know what arch am I running now.
> Then I need to know if reinstalling from scratch will pay off, in terms
> of performance.
> The other questions that came up are:
>
> - Is the amd64 port as complete as i386?
> - Am I not using any x86_64 extension if I stick to 2.6.8-2-k7?
>
>
> While reading (1) further, I bumped this:
>
> "Running the mixed setup on a workstation is not recommended, because
> iptables, the XFS filesystem, non-free NVidia and ATI binary drivers do
> currently not support it."
>
> 'mixed setup' there is 32bit apps with 64bit kernels. So this might
> concern me directly.
>
>
> (1) -
> http://alioth.debian.org/docman/view.php/30192/21/debian-amd64-howto.html#id250846
>
> (2) - http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/sarge-amd64/iso-cd/
>
>
> Hope this all clear up. I guess the way to go would be to reinstall from
> scratch at some time in the future. The problem is I have a ton of apps
> installed, and going through all the hassle again freaks me out. Also
> the completeness of the amd64 archive is a concern.
In the howto it describes howto set up amd64 in a chroot from a 32bit
system or (vice versa). That would seem to be the way to go .....
either make the current system full 64 bit (or 32) and then chroot the
other. FWIW, I installed the 64bit system first and chrooted 32 bit for
openoffice and firefox.
The warning about mixed systems says it all.
Regards
Clive
--
www.clivemenzies.co.uk ...
...strategies for business
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