Alternative Performance Kernel for Debian

[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

[mzilikazi]

Well I tried the liquorix kernel and then my goldfish died so I removed it.

Actually it works fine although I don't notice any obvious performance gains. I don't run alot of services on boot and don't use KDE either (which when compared to LXDE takes days and days to load). Everything is crisp and snappy but this is all just user perception.

[gnudude]

I don't notice any obvious performance gains.

[AdrianTM]

Well I tried the liquorix kernel and then my goldfish died so I removed it.

Actually it works fine although I don't notice any obvious performance gains. I don't run alot of services on boot and don't use KDE either (which when compared to LXDE takes days and days to load). Everything is crisp and snappy but this is all just user perception.

Actually this is a misunderstanding, a new scheduler (especially one focused on the desktop) won't make programs start faster (they actually might even slow down) the purpose of such scheduler is to make the whole experience smoother and the computer more responsive which in some cases reduces the actual performance of some pieces of software.

[damentz]

Actually this is a misunderstanding, a new scheduler (especially one focused on the desktop) won't make programs start faster (they actually might even slow down) the purpose of such scheduler is to make the whole experience smoother and the computer more responsive which in some cases reduces the actual performance of some pieces of software.

Ah, but more than the scheduler is tweaked here - BFQ is used as the disk scheduler with a patch to drain the NCQ queue on the disk hardware, reducing sync latencies that most desktop applications need to stay responsive during high disk load.

That could be it, just a guess.

[Penguin Skinner]

If anyone else is interested in particular configuration differences between the standard Debian kernel and damentz's Liquorix kernel, here's a side-by-side comparison of the respective .config files (generated with 'comm' and 'sort', as I find large diffs to be annoying to read) --

http://pastebin.com/f6205cdfb

Please note that I was using the .config file for the Debian 2.6.30 kernel currently in testing, so some things may not be a true apples-to-apples comparison.

[alpha-dog]

I've install your liquorix kernel, but I'm still only able to get 2D with the fglrx-driver. Is it still not able to get 3D?
I removed xserver-xorg-core, installed flgrx-driver and fglrx-control then ran aticonfig --intial.
Thanks for any help

[damentz]

I don't think fglrx has ever supported the newest stable kernel before - try the version from my past branch; instructions to accessing that branch are on a blog post of mine here -> http://transient-inode.blogspot.com/200 ... es_20.html

Phoronix' forums may have something, but it takes work to sift through all the noise (FUD and just angry postings with no substance) to find the patches.

[DeepDayze]

Great job damentz on your kernels and I know you don't ever let your userbase down. If I find a problem I'd let you know and from your track record you resolved the issues.

As for all the attacks on damentz, I feel they are totally unwarranted and the admin agrees with this.

[gnudude]

welcome to debian user forums

this aint your mommas crap brown forums...

[DeepDayze]

welcome to debian user forums

this aint your mommas crap brown forums...

LOL I don't care much for the brown dog myself

Debian Sid user here

[gnudude]

Debian Sid user here

sidux isnt sid....

[Soul Singin']

As for all the attacks on damentz, I feel they are totally unwarranted and the admin agrees with this.

Of course it LOOKS unwarranted.

He removed the objectionable material and then he used a hot-linked image to insert profanity into my post:

• http://liquorix.net/imgs/fat_lines_light-dmz.png

EDIT and UPDATE: And then he switched the image back to cover his tracks.
.

[damentz]

Debian Sid user here

sidux isnt sid....

sidux is Debian sid with a better (actually questionable according to what you prefer) default configuration and package selection with the desktop user in mind. The developers also try to temporarily fix packages that arrive in debian Sid which might have broken many of their user's installations.

What you asserted it similar to saying, Linux Mint is not Ubuntu, although with a few commands with apt-get, and a few gtkrc theme modifications, you will be using stock Ubuntu.

The trick is that both of those distributions depend highly on their distribution base's repository always functioning and doing the work for them - they just change some cosmetics, default configuration, and default package selection.

[jalu]

sidux socks

[gnudude]

hey if you want to dance off topic then lets do a jig...

sidux is Debian sid

uh no....sidux doesn't even use a debian kernel but rather their own kernel...and you aren't suppose to use some tools that debian specifically suggests to use...no dfsg...etc....

sidux is based on debian sid....sidux is debian sid based...sidux is binary compatible with sid....but sidux is not sid....

The developers also try to temporarily fix packages that arrive in debian Sid

that would make it NOT sid then...right...

similar to saying, Linux Mint is not Ubuntu

actually clem uses a number of specific tools that he has wrote for mint....but who is talking about mint...

I guess linspire is also debian sid....xandros.....ubuntu....all debian sid....and...well....everything is debian sid....glad we cleared that up...