Inaccuracy of smolt i586 count - was 586 kernels.

[Nigel Metheringham]

On 6/21/07, Alan Cox <alan at redhat.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Jun 20, 2007 at 05:42:24PM -0700, Pete Zaitcev wrote:
>> I'm thinking about getting a new box anyway (it's an old
>> not-quite-C3 with some odd Biblean-sounding codename, chugging
>> along at 800MHz).  With less than 40 users, it's just not worth
>> it. I'm surprised though, I thought VIA was more popular than
>> that.

> It is a good deal more popular than that (although the 686
> compatible but not gcc 686 compatible ones are the older ones
> generally)

> Unless Dave can publish data sets and a methodology for his count
> (and given even the big marketing companies can't do it I want to
> see this) we should assume he made up a number to justify killing it
> cos he finds it a hassle to maintain.

Having watched from the sidelines I updated my VIA mini-ITX system
yesterday. Its an original 800 MHz model.

Fedora installs for an i586 on it - 586 kernel etc. However, at least
post F7 upgrade (meaning I didn't check beforehand) uname -m and arch
report i686. Smolt also sees this as an i686 - in fact the complete
profile is at

   http://smolt.fedoraproject.org/show?UUID=99ad2cb0-5524-4d7e- 
b145-1c502ba58e62

For those that prefer raw data the /proc/cpuinfo is:-
     processor       : 0
     vendor_id       : CentaurHauls
     cpu family      : 6
     model           : 7
     model name      : VIA Samuel 2
     stepping        : 3
     cpu MHz         : 800.065
     cache size      : 64 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 de tsc msr cx8 mtrr pge mmx 3dnow up
     bogomips        : 1601.17
     clflush size    : 32

However it will not boot a current i686 kernel - resets immediately.

There are 264 (0.4%) CentaurHauls CPUs in Smolt right now (and obviously
upgraders like me would not appear there unless we make the effort). Its
not much of a proportion, but there are more users than the i586 figures
suggest.

Cheers
     Nigel.

--
[ Nigel Metheringham           Nigel.Metheringham at InTechnology.co.uk ]
[ - Comments in this message are my own and not ITO opinion/policy - ]