Re: Patch for 2.2.10 (Quelle surprise!)

Steve Underwood (steveu@netpage.com.hk)
Sun, 04 Jul 1999 03:22:29 +0000


Mitchell Blank Jr wrote:

> Alex Buell wrote:
> > > 2. Your API seems to assume that all processors in an SMP system are
> > > identical. Hardly very flexible.
> >
> > I have yet to see a SMP system using different processors. Have you?
>
> I'm not sure if it's possible on i386... I know the early p5-smp boxes
> were very sensitive to even minor variations in processor. I'm not
> familiar enough with SMP intel hardware to know what the current generation
> is capable of.
>
> I have seen SMP sparc boxes with completely different processors in them
> (maybe it's not technically "symmetric" at that point, but it does work)
> Even if your API is i386 only then you should plan for the future when
> it might be possible.
>
> -Mitch

I've seen a single P5 non-MMX machine expanded with an extra P5 MMX, and it
seemed OK on a quick test with NT. I wonder what happens if MMX aware software
tests and finds MMX is available, and is later scheduled on the non MMX CPU?

Steve

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