Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

[damentz]

Hi everyone,

I'm the maintainer of the Liquorix set, a precompiled kernel on x86/x86-64 for Debian Sid (testing will work too) optimized only for desktop performance, never server. This kernel contains a modified version of the Zen Sources @ http://git.zen-sources.org and a kernel configuration optimized for a practical desktop experience.

Recently, Con Kolivas began writing a new process scheduler named Brainf*** scheduler, or BFS. I am currently building my kernels with his scheduler instead as they prove more useful than CFS for things that matter; interactivity, fair and low latency distribution of cpu bandwidth for gaming, video, and audio related things.

For anyone interested, just add the following to a sources file (/etc/apt/sources.list.d/liquorix.list): deb http://liquorix.net/debian sid main

or for you scripters, echo "deb http://liquorix.net/debian sid main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/liquorix.list

You can then install with a shotgun approach: apt-get install '.*liquorix'. This will grab the kernel for your architecture and the keyring too.

More information can be found at http://liquorix.net

Raw Sources can be found at http://liquorix.net/sources. I just created a local script to automatically keep that directory updated with the changes to my packages.

git Repository can be viewed and pulled from http://github.com/damentz/liquorix

For any quick questions, you can reach me at #smxi on irc.oftc.net

[Soul Singin']

Wonderful. I can't wait to install a scheduler whose first successful boot occurred three weeks ago.

Is this stable?

Probably not. I use it on half a dozen machines but the code only booted for
the first time successfully on the 25th August 2009 so you work out how new
it is.

And the first place I'm going to download that scheduler from is ...

... a website that makes me dizzy with candy-cane stripes


EDIT: Removed a hot-linked image that Damentz used to insert profanity into my post.
.

[damentz]

Those stripes prohibit narrow, judgmental users from grabbing my kernel... sort of like an innocuous topsy turvy scare crow flopping around in the wind

But otherwise, BFS is very stable for 3 weeks. Remember that Con has already written SD before, so the prerequisites to a functioning scheduler are much easier to accomplish twice.

[Soul Singin']

Those stripes prohibit narrow, judgmental users from grabbing my kernel... sort of like an innocuous topsy turvy scare crow flopping around in the wind

Those stripes prohibit you from thinking clearly.

But otherwise, BFS is very stable for 3 weeks.

Con Kolivas specifically said that it is not stable.

Is this stable?

Probably not. I use it on half a dozen machines but the code only booted for
the first time successfully on the 25th August 2009 so you work out how new
it is.

Remember that Con has already written SD before, so the prerequisites to a functioning scheduler are much easier to accomplish twice.

Yes. He has written schedulers before, but that does not mean that THIS scheduler is stable.

I'm glad that you are offering this kernel, so that others can easily test his work, but please be honest about the state of his work. Please don't tell people that this scheduler is stable, when it has not even been tested yet.
.

[damentz]

But otherwise, BFS is very stable for 3 weeks.

Con Kolivas specifically said that it is not stable.

Is this stable?

Probably not. I use it on half a dozen machines but the code only booted for
the first time successfully on the 25th August 2009 so you work out how new
it is.

Remember that Con has already written SD before, so the prerequisites to a functioning scheduler are much easier to accomplish twice.

Yes. He has written schedulers before, but that does not mean that THIS scheduler is stable.

I'm glad that you are offering this kernel, so that others can easily test his work, but please be honest about the state of his work. Please don't tell people that this scheduler is stable, when it has not even been tested yet.
.

Thank you for almost understanding what I said. Anyway, I'll assert it again; BFS is very stable for 3 weeks.

Those stripes prohibit you from thinking clearly.

Stop getting off topic and verifying my analogy, this thread isn't about you or your childish remarks.

[Jackiebrown]

Hi everyone,

I'm the maintainer of the Liquorix set, a precompiled kernel on x86/x86-64 for Debian Sid (testing will work too) optimized only for desktop performance, never server.

Recently, Con Kolivas began writing a new process scheduler named Brainf*** scheduler, or BFS. I am currently building my kernels with his scheduler instead as they prove more useful than CFS for things that matter; interactivity, fair and low latency distribution of cpu bandwidth for gaming, video, and audio related things.

For anyone interested, just add the following to a sources file (/etc/apt/sources.list.d/liquorix.list): deb http://liquorix.net/debian sid main

or for you scripters, echo "deb http://liquorix.net/debian sid main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/liquorix.list

I'll give it a go.

[damentz]

Hey guys, no longer using BFS. Lots of discussion has taken place on the kernel mailing list and many regressions were pinpointed then resolved. Those changes are backported to the Liquorix kernels now, offering the same or better performance than previously achieved with BFS without those stability issues.

[craigevil]

I havent had any issues with the liquorix kernels.

[Penguin Skinner]

Decided to give it a try, and I'm honestly surprised by the performance boost. I'm not one to pay a lot of attention to boot time -- standard Debian kernel boots in about 20 seconds anyway (from grub to login prompt) and the Liquorix kernel reduces that by a good 5 seconds. And desktop performance is impressive ... which, on top of gains seen from the recent upgrades to xorg and open source ATI video driver, is very gratifying.

Thanks for your efforts, damentz!

[Soul Singin']

Let's see ... When I expressed concern about the stability of a scheduler that had only been bootable for a few weeks and pointed out that its developer

Con Kolivas specifically said that it is not stable.

you dismissed my concerns as:

childish remarks.

But now that the same

stability issues

have come up on:

the kernel mailing list

your kernels are:

no longer using BFS.

.

[damentz]

Let's see ... When I expressed concern about the stability of a scheduler that had only been bootable for a few weeks and pointed out that its developer

Con Kolivas specifically said that it is not stable.

you dismissed my concerns as:

childish remarks.

But now that the same

stability issues

have come up on:

the kernel mailing list

your kernels are:

no longer using BFS.

.

Suppose you are gliding over New York and everyone begins putting up umbrellas. All the cars seconds later begin to turn on their windshield wipers. It is obvious that putting up umbrellas causes windshield wipers to activate.

Your concerns are not childish, everything else you say is unhelpful. Plus, the kernel mailing list quote is out of context and ruined the point of your entire post. Are you sure that a child is not suggesting responses for you?

[Soul Singin']

Are you sure that a child is not suggesting responses for you?

Right back at you.
.

[jalu]

well,well,well.
my doctors and therapriests and what not, the whole shebang, they allways tell me:

"give the child in you a chance"

i think they ran out of better ideas /have given up the hope on me. And me thinks: if only i would give the adult this chance too
(, as if there would be one).


btw: i installed the liquorix, which version ever, and it went fine.

[damentz]

Thanks for your efforts, damentz!

Thanks to you for also trying it

[Lavene]

Soul Singin': What the hell? If you don't want to install the kernel then just don't install the kernel. I'm pretty sure that people are able to decide for them self whether or not they want to 'take the risk' with this kernel considering the OP clearly says it's for Sid.

Your attack is both out of line and off topic.

[sir fer]

After that stoush I just had to try it.

Very nice work damentz.

[Soul Singin']

After that stoush I just had to try it.

Do you realize that the "stoush" was about Con Kolivas' BFS scheduler? Do you realize that the version that you tried does NOT use the BFS scheduler? All you tried was a collection of patches to the standard kernel.

I do not object to the distribution of a kernel with an untested scheduler, so long as the user is warned that the scheduler is untested.

Damentz did not provide any such warnings however. Instead he claimed that:

BFS is very stable

Such statements are completely irresponsible and I strongly object to his actions.
.

[sir fer]

Settle petal, yes I realise all that...

It was the first i'd even heard of the liquorix kernel so I would have tried it no matter what

thanks for the link re:BFS tho

[dbbolton]

I tried this kernel the other day. One thing I didn't understand: I added a deb-src line and downloaded the source so could change the arch and remove some crap that I knew I wouldn't need and didn't want to have loaded (ipv6, bluetooth, webcam driver, etc), and menuconfig showed the timer frequency at 250 MHz.

[damentz]

I tried this kernel the other day. One thing I didn't understand: I added a deb-src line and downloaded the source so could change the arch and remove some crap that I knew I wouldn't need and didn't want to have loaded (ipv6, bluetooth, webcam driver, etc), and menuconfig showed the timer frequency at 250 MHz.

The timer is set to 864hz, you didn't apply the patch set to your standard kernel in order to have access to the hundreds of extra kernel options you can fiddle with

I created a sources folder at http://liquorix.net/sources . You can check the raw configuration and you should get identical results compared with this:

Code: Select all

$ cat /boot/config-2.6.31-0.dmz.8-liquorix-amd64 | grep CONFIG_HZ
# CONFIG_HZ_100 is not set
# CONFIG_HZ_108 is not set
# CONFIG_HZ_144 is not set
# CONFIG_HZ_216 is not set
# CONFIG_HZ_250 is not set
# CONFIG_HZ_300 is not set
# CONFIG_HZ_432 is not set
CONFIG_HZ_864=y
# CONFIG_HZ_1000 is not set
CONFIG_HZ=864