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From: ian_v...@ACM.ORG
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development
Subject: Symmetric Multiprocessing for Linux?
Date: 25 May 1994 14:07:27 GMT
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Are there plans afoot to extend Linux to support symmetric
multi-processing (a la Mach?)

I am a newcomer to Linux (and relatively new to *nix).
My main interest is in finding a good operating system for
high-reliability applications using multiple processors
(e.g. Master-Standby).

Thank you, Ian

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From: imccl...@cs.ucsd.edu (Ian McCloghrie)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development
Subject: Re: Symmetric Multiprocessing for Linux?
Message-ID: <68328@sdcc12.ucsd.edu>
Date: 26 May 94 23:34:50 GMT
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ian_v...@ACM.ORG writes:

>Are there plans afoot to extend Linux to support symmetric
>multi-processing (a la Mach?)

I sincerely doubt it, since as far as I know, Linux only runs on
386-architecutre PCs and some Amigas (I know virtually nothing about
the Amiga port).  It's difficult to find these systems with the
necessary hardware for SMP (like having more than one processor).

If you want SMP like Mach does it, why not just use Mach?

--
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From: tdun...@vtaix.cc.vt.edu (Thomas Dunbar)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development
Subject: Re: Symmetric Multiprocessing for Linux?
Date: 27 May 1994 12:14:16 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
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imccl...@cs.ucsd.edu (Ian McCloghrie)

writes:
>ian_v...@ACM.ORG writes:
>
>>Are there plans afoot to extend Linux to support symmetric
>>multi-processing (a la Mach?)
>
>I sincerely doubt it, since as far as I know, Linux only runs on
>386-architecutre PCs and some Amigas (I know virtually nothing about
>the Amiga port).  It's difficult to find these systems with the
>necessary hardware for SMP (like having more than one processor).


no, it's not difficult at all to find them..for example, in many of
the pc mags, ALR has been running an ad about it's 4-100mhz pentiums
box ($22,000) being cheaper than Compaqs (>$30000). and there are
several other SMP intel (386/486/pentium) boxes available.

the problem is the cost is beyond Linux developers' budgets.  ...i
venture a guess that if ALR, Compaq, etc. were to donate a SMP box to
Linus, there would be a Linux-SMP before long.

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From: a...@bigcomm.gun.de (Christoph Adomeit)
Subject: Re: Symmetric Multiprocessing for Linux?
Message-ID: <1994Jun2.005332.480@bigcomm.gun.de>
Organization: Private
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 00:53:32 GMT
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tdun...@vtaix.cc.vt.edu (Thomas Dunbar) writes:

>the problem is the cost is beyond Linux developers' budgets.  ...i
>venture a guess that if ALR, Compaq, etc. were to donate a SMP box to
>Linus, there would be a Linux-SMP before long.

You won't need those big companies for that. I think if every Linux User 
would give 0.10 $ this would be enough:-)
However, if money is the problem, I think a short ask for this in c.o.l.a. 
would bring much more than the needed amount easily.

Ciao
  Christoph
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From: iii...@uk.ac.swan.pyr (Alan Cox)
Subject: Re: Symmetric Multiprocessing for Linux?
Message-ID: <1994Jun7.194217.549@uk.ac.swan.pyr>
Organization: Swansea University College
References: <68328@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> <2s4o6o$mek@solaris.cc.vt.edu> 
<1994Jun2.005332.480@bigcomm.gun.de>
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 19:42:17 GMT
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In article <1994Jun2.005332....@bigcomm.gun.de> a...@bigcomm.gun.de 
(Christoph Adomeit) writes:
>tdun...@vtaix.cc.vt.edu (Thomas Dunbar) writes:
>
>>the problem is the cost is beyond Linux developers' budgets.  ...i
>>venture a guess that if ALR, Compaq, etc. were to donate a SMP box to
>>Linus, there would be a Linux-SMP before long.
>
>You won't need those big companies for that. I think if every Linux User 
>would give 0.10 $ this would be enough:-)
>However, if money is the problem, I think a short ask for this in c.o.l.a. 
>would bring much more than the needed amount easily.

I've been looking into this in detail with respect to making the net code
a MACH multithreaded server as part of the linux-mach stuff. Most things
are OK - some of the fs stuff needs a few more semaphores and spinlocks.
The memory manager needs to do some pretty flash stuff and that I think
is the only sticking point.

Its probably only a two-three month project for someone prepared to trash the
filesystems a few times until they get the spinlocks right and providing they
have all the hardware.

Alan

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From: br...@bronze.coil.com (Brad Block)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development
Subject: Linux and symmetrical multiprocessing
Date: 13 Jun 1994 12:53:59 -0400
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Okay, again:

Has anyone seen or heard anything that would hint that Linux will be able 
to take advantage of SMP (symmetrical multiproccesing) in future kernel 
releases? Or, has anyone seen such a patch, driver, etc, for Linux or 
another similair OS (BSD...)? Or, would anyone like to try to help me 
write a driver to take advantage of SMP motherboards and the new 
specially adapted Pentiums that are easily multiprocessed?

- Thanks!
-- 
----|Brad Block|---- ----|Sysoop: Wave 2 BBS|----
AKA: MaKi 614\766-1258
br...@bronze.coil.com



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----|Brad Block|---- ----|Sysoop: Wave 2 BBS|----
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From: iii...@uk.ac.swan.pyr (Alan Cox)
Subject: Re: Linux and symmetrical multiprocessing
Message-ID: <1994Jun14.100234.5078@uk.ac.swan.pyr>
Organization: Swansea University College
References: <2ti2v7$o73@bronze.coil.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 1994 10:02:34 GMT
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In article <2ti2v7$...@bronze.coil.com> br...@bronze.coil.com (Brad Block) writes:
>Has anyone seen or heard anything that would hint that Linux will be able 
>to take advantage of SMP (symmetrical multiproccesing) in future kernel 
>releases? Or, has anyone seen such a patch, driver, etc, for Linux or 
>another similair OS (BSD...)? Or, would anyone like to try to help me 
>write a driver to take advantage of SMP motherboards and the new 
>specially adapted Pentiums that are easily multiprocessed?
>
Get me a 3+ CPU SMP motherboard and the low level programming docs for the
SMP and I have an entire computer society who'll happily do the rest if they
get to keep the board.

Alan