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Speed Boost: The Linux Kernel Can Run On Zero CPU Cores

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  • Speed Boost: The Linux Kernel Can Run On Zero CPU Cores

    Phoronix: Speed Boost: The Linux Kernel Can Run On Zero CPU Cores

    A patch emerged out of IBM yesterday so that the Linux kernel can now has optimal SMP efficiency by being able to support running off zero CPU cores...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    .. very late for april fools!

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    • #3
      //EDIT: Whoops, wrong thread, sorry.

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      • #4
        Some kernel developers are wanting to remove the kernel's "tick" altogether, and not even have dynticks -- in other words, there will be no wake-ups even when applications are awake.

        Will NR_CPUS=0 make this easier to achieve?

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        • #5
          Lol, fun read

          I like this one from Boris:
          Btw, I just got confirmation from hw folk that we can actually give you
          hardware support for that code with an upcoming CPU which has NR_CPUS=0
          cores.

          Oh, and additionally, we can disable some of those so getting into the
          negative is also doable from the hw perspective, so feel free to explore
          that side of the problem too.

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          • #6
            i'm not sure i really understand how this works. i don't compile the kernel so maybe that's why I feel out of the loop.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by schmidtbag View Post
              i'm not sure i really understand how this works. i don't compile the kernel so maybe that's why I feel out of the loop.
              You know how threads work and the CPU time is distributed between processes?

              On a single core each running process get a little time every now and then, which process and how much decides the scheduler (e.g. BFS, CFS etc.). This happens for each core on multicore platforms, so two processes or more can run at the same time.

              Now the Linux kernel supports a certain number of CPUs (I think 4096?) and with this patch even 0 or less

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              • #8
                Leave it to one prankster at IBM's research lab to come up with this wacky patch

                Now if anyone dared to apply the patch...

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by disi View Post
                  You know how threads work and the CPU time is distributed between processes?

                  On a single core each running process get a little time every now and then, which process and how much decides the scheduler (e.g. BFS, CFS etc.). This happens for each core on multicore platforms, so two processes or more can run at the same time.

                  Now the Linux kernel supports a certain number of CPUs (I think 4096?) and with this patch even 0 or less
                  Yes, I did know that, but that doesn't explain the benefit of 0 cores. Is it basically saying that these tasks would never run?

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by schmidtbag View Post
                    Yes, I did know that, but that doesn't explain the benefit of 0 cores. Is it basically saying that these tasks would never run?
                    Yes, the email was sent on 01.04.2012

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