Subject: BootX and the 603e
From: Irena and Richard Jenkins (rjenkins@pop.alphalink.com.au)
Date: Wed Sep 26 2001 - 16:58:22 MDT
A couple of days ago I contacted the list asking for help with BootX. My
6360 has a 603e CPU and I knew that BootX as supplied by YDL (and other pppc
linux suppliers) had some problems with my processor. It was slow ... really
slow. The dmesg readout stated that the software was running at 4.39
BogoMips. This didn't cause a difficulty with CLI activities ... but any
attempt to run X meant that I was in for lengthy delays.
At the same time I completed several web-searches for this and came up with
the name of Benjamin Herrenschmidt. Ben is the author of BootX and other
software. My difficulty was that all the web references turned out to be out
of date, no longer working etc. In desperation I tried several emails to
some of the addresses I was given.
Ben replied within a day ... giving me an up to date URL for BootX versions.
I downloaded and installed version 1.2.2 and the result was amazing! My
machine now runs 24 times faster!! Yes 24 times as fast. With a new rating
of 106.59 BogoMips I can surf the net, send and read emails ... at a normal
speed. My next step is to install a small L2 cache ... and I am hoping for
a small increase in speed again.
The moral is: if you have a 603e processor ... get the updated BootX file!
You can then have a working ppclinux system. I am aware that 603 processors
were fitted to a number of powermacs (and clones). They make fine linux
machines ... once you get past the speed barrier.
Thanks again Ben Herrenschmidt!
Richard
[Composed on Kmail running under kde2 on a 603e powermac.]
-- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Irena and Richard Jenkins Canberra Australia +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a24 : Wed Sep 26 2001 - 17:55:19 MDT