Re: [K12OSN] CPU envy

["Terrell Prude', Jr." <microman cmosnetworks com>]

anthony baldwin wrote:

> Okay,
> I'm having that old feeling of CPU envy again.  I'm presently running 
> a Pentium 3 1ghz with 512mb ram.  The mobo is whatever was included 
> with this Compaq when I bought it 3 years ago, but I have ugraded to 
> it's maximum potential (was a celeron 600mhz with only 32mb ram). So 
> the mobo must go!
>
>
> As far as I understand, too, I can install a new board and cpu without 
> doing a fresh install, right?  I mean, the kernel will detect the 
> difference and adjust accordingly, won't it?  This is what I've been 
> told, and I'm amazed by that, considering that, afaik, the new board 
> should require new video and sound drivers, etc.  Or would I be 
> required to reconfigure the Xserver and sound by hand?  That would 
> make more sense than to expect this to be done automagically, but if 
> it does occur automagically, I'll be both grateful and amazed.
> I am sure that backing up all crucial files before this undertaking 
> would be wise anyway, then if I do have to do a fresh install, I won't 
> lose anything. 
>
> Now that I've babbled and jawed, I'd like to express my gratitude for 
> any time you've already wasted reading this mess, in addition to any 
> you spend actually dignifying this drivel with a reply.
I'll dignify your drivel!  :-)

Should be no problem, provided that you use the same video board, NIC, 
and SCSI card with the new mobo that you are with the old mobo.  I've 
swapped out Intel chips for K6's and Athlons for several years now with 
several OS's, including GNU/Linux, without incident.  Your new mobo 
chipset should be detected and used quite nicely by the kernel, and if 
you want to see the info on that, just do a "dmesg | more" at a terminal 
window.  Now, if you go swapping SCSI cards to one of a different type 
(say, from Symbios to Adaptec), and your hard disk is hanging off of it, 
that's a different ballgame fraught with peril unless you really know 
what you're doing.

For those who are thinking about Kudzu, yes, I know that Kudzu is 
capable of autodetecting and configuring new video, network, sound, etc. 
hardware, but if you don't have a reason to change it out, it's 
generally better not to, in my experience, regardless of your OS.  Also, 
Kudzu won't be able to detect and configure a new SCSI card for your 
root partition; I tried that, just as a test, and I got a kernel panic 
(can't find root).

So, keep it simple and you should be fine w/ the mobo swap.

--TP
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you GNU!?
Protect your freedom with GPL! Software LicenseGuard
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html