>On Fri, Feb 13, 2004 at 04:24:53PM -0600, Ken Fuchs wrote: >> Most DEB and RPM files are compiled for the oldest, usually slowest, >> architecture of an architecture family. For the x86 family, the code in >> DEB and RPM files may be 386 code which is optimal only for a 80386 >> CPU. Gentoo compiles code that is optimal for the CPU it is being >> installed on. Thus compiling all code during an install as Gentoo does >> can result in a huge performance advantage. As Munir Nassar rightly pointed out, the Gentoo complied code is not optimal for the processor it is installed on. I should have said "near optimal", since the superlative "optimal" is rarely achieved on any thing that's as complex as an Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon processor. Matthew S. Hallacy wrote: >It's not a huge performance advantage, and if you're really that concerned >about it, apt-get source foo; rpmbuild --rebuild --target i686 foo.src.rpm If there's not a huge performance advantage why has Intel and AMD added dozens of new operations to the base 80386 opcodes in current x86 processor designs? Frankly, new Pentium 4 or Athlon code runs much faster on a Pentium 4 or Athlon than the equivalent 80386 code does. Sincerely, Ken Fuchs <kfuchs at winternet.com> _______________________________________________ TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list