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Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

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miks
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#121 Post by miks »

rhy7s wrote:
My problem is that on resume I get a black screen with a white underscore at top left, as per this post. I've just tried the liquorix kernel and it doesn't shutdown, it goes to the console, gets to the power down message, HDD spins down but the console remains, have to do a hard shutdown via the power button. I haven't tried suspend yet, will do a backup first as I ended up with a hosed system after suspend a while ago in squeeze and don't want to go through a reinstall.
So, any news? If it is not fixed, you should go back to posting in the other thread with details of your video card and driver, as this is getting off topic here.

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TheExplorer
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#122 Post by TheExplorer »

Oops, seems that there is a problem with new 2.6.35-5 version... When it starts booting it spews out a lot of errors and even pieces of some HEX code, then system services begin to start and it freezes completely on CUPS. I'm unable to switch anywhere, it just stops and that's it.

BTW, the previous 2.6.35 version worked fine for me.

======
UPDATE:
======

Well, I downloaded and compiled the latest 2.6.35 linux-liquorix-orig myself. Now it boots fine.

There are a lot of complaints about the system being unresponsive when copying large files.
The following commands would be of a great help (I won't explain these commands, so, rtfm yourself):

Code: Select all

su
echo 'vm.swappiness=10' >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo 'vm.vfs_cache_pressure=1000' >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo 'vm.dirty_background_ratio=10' >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo 'vm.dirty_ratio=30' >> /etc/sysctl.conf
sysctl -p
My system remains responsive when copying or moving large files (movies for e.g.).

You can test it at any time with this:

Code: Select all

dd if=/dev/zero of=tmp bs=1024k count=1024
And try to do something while the operation is in progress. The system will be responsive. (Don't forget to delete the tmp file in your /home directory afterwards)

I've also found a tiny patch at the Kernel Bugzilla here (post #488). It is meant to improve IO latency. It's a question at issue as of now and should be used at your own risk (I applied the patch but I doubt whether it's effective).

Anyway, if you are using the Liquorix kernel you should be fine with /etc/sysctl.conf tweaking. You relly do not need the patch.

Good luck.
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TheExplorer
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#123 Post by TheExplorer »

ANyway, I have switched to pf-kernel as I find it much more responsive. It includes Zen patches, Con Kolivas BFS, BFQ i/o scheduler, TuxOnIce etc.
There are also binaries compiled by contributors.
pf-kernel is another Linux kernel fork, that provides you with new useful features, that are not merged into mainline. It's not based on any existing Linux fork or patchset, but some parts of Zen kernel may be merged if there's no official release of needed patch. The name of this fork is not connected with BSD Packet Filter. «pf» means «post-factum» in the short form.
Important note: It is applied over bare 2.6.35 kernel (it already includes the latest mainline update patches, like 2.6.35.2 etc.)

There are also archived patches for previous kernels.

Be free to use it and see the real difference.

pf-kernel is here.
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#124 Post by craigevil »

No problems with it here.


$ uname -a
Linux craigevil 2.6.35-2.dmz.1-liquorix-686 #1 ZEN SMP PREEMPT Sun Aug 15 00:44:01 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#125 Post by TheExplorer »

It's not and advertisement :) I just thought that people should know about Alternative Performance Kernels for Debian.
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#126 Post by canci »

@damnetz: A very snappy kernel, indeed! No visible performance gains for desktop, but audio editing is much better now. I do however have a problem. My laptop touchpad doesn't work as expected. I cannot do a left click on my touchpad, but have to use the buttons underneath, which are made of plastic and really cumbersome. Middle and right click with 2 or 3 fingers on the pad, respectivelly don't work either. 2-finger scrolling works just fine. I do think it's a 2.6.35 issue, as similar things happened in Arch Linux the other day (I had to install the synaptics package of xserver). This in turn makes no difference on Debian, so I suspect it's just up to some xserver config. From Ubuntu Maverick I know that multitouch, touchscreen and similar niceties are being eagerly worked on, and they use the same kernel. I cannot for the love of Big Bang think of what to google. I'll post something if I find it. Did you perhaps have the same problem?

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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#127 Post by damentz »

TheExplorer wrote:I've also found a tiny patch at the Kernel Bugzilla here (post #488). It is meant to improve IO latency. It's a question at issue as of now and should be used at your own risk (I applied the patch but I doubt whether it's effective).

Anyway, if you are using the Liquorix kernel you should be fine with /etc/sysctl.conf tweaking. You relly do not need the patch.
Probably the reason why your tweaks worked was that I added the patch you mentioned the day before you posted to this thread. I meant to respond to this earlier but I guess I forgot to hit "submit".

Try booting without the sysctl entries you listed and run the dd commands again, there should be no difference.

walterav
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#128 Post by walterav »

Are the pf-kernel / liquorix kernel already using patches discussed to fix the "desktop responsiveness" problems discussed last month on Phoronix?

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=n ... &px=ODQ3Mw
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=n ... &px=ODQ3OQ
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=n ... &px=ODU0OQ

They were related to disk-activity/GUI responsiveness by Wu Fengguang and KOSAKI Motohiro. Also something related to the CFS low-latency feature, patches were done by Mathieu Desnoyers and Peter Zijlstra.

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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#129 Post by Mrbigshot08 »

Hi, I was wondering if you plan to maintain a kernel that you polish and bug fix for the stable release? Just because it's a high performance kernel doesn't mean it has to be unique to sid and testing. It would be cool if you kept a kernel that you fixed up occaissionally for Squeeze when it's stable, that is compatible with Squeeze. I notice that you already have a section in your repository called "Past" with a 2.6.34 kernel in there. That could work in Squeeze when it's stable no problems, and I'm already using it and there don't seem to be many problems.

I know it might add more work, but it would be a pretty awesome thing to do.

I don't mean to put pressure, just throwing out a suggestion. :wink:

Thanks,
PJ

Good work btw! Debian really lacks in providing the goods for desktop users, They seem to think everyone runs a server, as evidenced by the fact that they install exim4 by default.
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MeanDean
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#130 Post by MeanDean »

Mrbigshot08 wrote:They seem to think everyone runs a server, as evidenced by the fact that they install exim4 by default.
Debian provides many many different 'installs' and I do not consider any of them to be the default. If you do not like exim4 being installed then stop using the install method that installs exim4. Simple as that.

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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#131 Post by dbbolton »

MeanDean wrote:
Mrbigshot08 wrote:They seem to think everyone runs a server, as evidenced by the fact that they install exim4 by default.
Debian provides many many different 'installs' and I do not consider any of them to be the default. If you do not like exim4 being installed then stop using the install method that installs exim4. Simple as that.
It's actually a part of the standard task as well as the mail-server task.

Code: Select all

tasksel --task-packages mail-server | grep exim4

aptitude search \~pstandard | grep exim4
While it may not be "default" in your book, I believe that the standard task is selected by default, even in expert mode on the netinst disc.
Last edited by dbbolton on 2010-09-09 05:04, edited 1 time in total.
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Mrbigshot08
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#132 Post by Mrbigshot08 »

MeanDean wrote:
Mrbigshot08 wrote:They seem to think everyone runs a server, as evidenced by the fact that they install exim4 by default.
Debian provides many many different 'installs' and I do not consider any of them to be the default. If you do not like exim4 being installed then stop using the install method that installs exim4. Simple as that.
You're right, that's what I do. But my point is, when you select "Standard System" it installs exim4. Which always seems to hang, it's quite vexing.
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#133 Post by craigevil »

Exim4 is installed because a mailer is required to mail root info about things like logs, apt-listchanges, etc.

You can easily remove it if it doesn't work for you. I disable it here and just read the logs manually with a text editor.

And yes exim4 is part of the "standard" install task.

Package: exim4
Priority: standard
Section: mail
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secipolla
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#134 Post by secipolla »

In my truly modest view I think the standard package list is almost perfect, nothing lacking and almost nothing exceeding. The only thing I think should be removed by the installer after installation and isn't is tasksel.

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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#135 Post by walterav »

Bump...
walterav wrote:Are the pf-kernel / liquorix kernel already using patches discussed to fix the "desktop responsiveness" problems discussed last month on Phoronix?

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=n ... &px=ODQ3Mw
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=n ... &px=ODQ3OQ
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=n ... &px=ODU0OQ

They were related to disk-activity/GUI responsiveness by Wu Fengguang and KOSAKI Motohiro. Also something related to the CFS low-latency feature, patches were done by Mathieu Desnoyers and Peter Zijlstra.
Does anyone know a kernel which already contain these patches?

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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#136 Post by TheExplorer »

walterav wrote:Does anyone know a kernel which already contain these patches?
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=n ... &px=ODQ3OQ
-There's a patch for addressing this issue in the Linux 2.6.34 kernel within the Zen Kernel tree (it's also in the Zen 2.6.35 tree).
Yes, Liquorix kernel has them since it has Zen patches.

I think there are more solutions on their way into the kernel, but:
Nokia has funded some development work that has resulted in a set of eleven patches for exposing CFS low-latency features. These patches were done by Mathieu Desnoyers and Peter Zijlstra. According to Mathieu. These patches exposing the new low-latency CFS features for the Linux kernel to further enhance the desktop responsiveness can be found on LKML.org. Though due to the current position of the Linux 2.6.36 kernel, this likely will not be a candidate for merging until the Linux 2.6.37 kernel comes about.
So, it will be better in 2.6.37 kernel. Let's hope.
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#137 Post by canci »

canci wrote:@damnetz: A very snappy kernel, indeed! No visible performance gains for desktop, but audio editing is much better now. I do however have a problem. My laptop touchpad doesn't work as expected. I cannot do a left click on my touchpad, but have to use the buttons underneath, which are made of plastic and really cumbersome. Middle and right click with 2 or 3 fingers on the pad, respectivelly don't work either. 2-finger scrolling works just fine. I do think it's a 2.6.35 issue, as similar things happened in Arch Linux the other day (I had to install the synaptics package of xserver). This in turn makes no difference on Debian, so I suspect it's just up to some xserver config. From Ubuntu Maverick I know that multitouch, touchscreen and similar niceties are being eagerly worked on, and they use the same kernel. I cannot for the love of Big Bang think of what to google. I'll post something if I find it. Did you perhaps have the same problem?

I have an ASUS K50IN notebook
http://www.linlap.com/wiki/asus+k50in
Should you be having the same problems, here is the fix. It seems that for at least some touchpads, like mine, you have to now explicitly state that you want click by tapping the touchpad. Without this, only touchpad scrolling works for me. I think this is a kernel thing, since similar things happened on Arch. Add these options to your mouse section (This is called "InputDevice" and by default has the identifier "Mouse0"):

Code: Select all

    Option   "TapButton1" "1"
    Option   "TapButton2" "2"
    Option   "TapButton3" "3"
    Option   "VertTwoFingerScroll" "on"
    Option   "HorizTwoFingerScroll" "on"
The options mean: Tapping with 1 finger should activate button 1, etc.
"VertTwoFingerScroll" and "HorizTwoFingerScroll" enable vertical and horizontal finger scrolling. Duh! :)
I've also changed the driver to "synaptics", not sure if that was needed:

Code: Select all

    Driver         "synaptics"
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#138 Post by TheExplorer »

damentz, just one question:

Since you use Zen-patches why do you leave cfq scheduler as default instead of bfq ? For stability sake or what?

And is it possible to switch to bfq in real time without rebooting? I mean by addressing 'echo cfq > /sys/block/sda/queue/scheduler' ?

Thank you.
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#139 Post by milomak »

does this mean that if I am running a liquorix kernel (>=2.6.34) then I am safe? I just want to confirm to be sure that all is in order on my systems.
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Re: Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

#140 Post by damentz »

TheExplorer wrote:damentz, just one question:

Since you use Zen-patches why do you leave cfq scheduler as default instead of bfq ? For stability sake or what?

And is it possible to switch to bfq in real time without rebooting? I mean by addressing 'echo cfq > /sys/block/sda/queue/scheduler' ?

Thank you.
I replied to you on the techpatterns.com forum -> http://techpatterns.com/forums/post-6356.html#6356

But for people that are just skimming through, here's what I wrote:
damentz wrote:I got a report that KDE4 loaded slowly for a new kernel I released using BFQ as default. That must have been the issue, so I changed the default elevator to CFQ.

If you can debunk that myth, then I may just switch it back since the reporter didn't confirm that my kernels afterward fixed the problem.

And yes, you can update the I/O scheduler on-the-fly by echoing the scheduler you want to use into /sys/block/sda/queue/scheduler.

You can also cat the scheduler file to see what you are using and what's available:

Code: Select all

damentz@damentz64:/sys/block/sda/queue$ cat scheduler 
noop deadline cfq [bfq] 

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