Linux-Based XanMod Kernel Tests

Written by Michael Larabel in Linux Kernel on 11 January 2016 at 05:41 AM EST. 17 Comments
LINUX KERNEL
Following yesterday's tests of the Liquorix 4.3 kernel, a Phoronix reader pointed out another customized kernel I previously hadn't heard of: XanMod.

XanMod is a Linux-based kernel with custom modifications aiming to "take full advantage in high-performance workstations, gaming desktops, media centers and others." XanMod is primarily geared for Debian/Ubuntu systems but obviously could work elsewhere.

The XanMod kernel uses the BFS scheduler, BFQ I/O scheduler, UKSM realtime memory data deduplication, YeAH TCP congestion control, x86_64 advanced instruction set support, and other default changes.

As some quick tests, I ran the XanMod latest kernel (also is 4.3 based at the time of testing) compared to my other mainline Linux kernel and Liquorix results from this weekend. With those benchmarks, they may not be best suited for showing the potential performance changes of this kernel, but were just what I had available with my limited time and resources.

If you want to see how the current XanMod kernel compares to other Linux 4.3/4.4 kernels, go check out this OpenBenchmarking.org result file for all of the initial data. If there's enough interest (particularly among Phoronix Premium members), more investigating and tests will take place in due time.
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Michael Larabel

Michael Larabel is the principal author of Phoronix.com and founded the site in 2004 with a focus on enriching the Linux hardware experience. Michael has written more than 20,000 articles covering the state of Linux hardware support, Linux performance, graphics drivers, and other topics. Michael is also the lead developer of the Phoronix Test Suite, Phoromatic, and OpenBenchmarking.org automated benchmarking software. He can be followed via Twitter, LinkedIn, or contacted via MichaelLarabel.com.

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