Optimising FreeBSD

[Subhro]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org [mailto:owner-freebsd-
> questions at freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Richard Danter
> Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 22:03
> To: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> Subject: Optimising FreeBSD
> 
> First, I think I need to edit the /etc/make.conf file. This is what I
> think I should have in place:
> 
>    CPUTYPE ?= p2 		# or p3 on my workstation
>    CFLAGS   = -O -pipe		# O2 and above not recommended?
>    COPTFLAGS= -O -pipe

Make that CPUTYPE=p2 instead of CPUTYPE?=p2. The later is used if you build
for p2 on a different platform. CFLAGS and COPTFLAGS look ok. You can try
-O2 for COPTFLAGS but expect some instabilities.

> 
> I am not sure I understand the difference between CFLAGS and COPTFLAGS.
> Am I right in saying that COPTFLAGS is used for kernel builds and CFLAGS
> is used for everything else? 

That's correct

> 
> Is there anything else I need to set?

Go through /usr/local/sys/i386/conf/NOTES. Read through the different
processor flags.

> 
> Assuming the settings above are right, now I guess I can rebuild my
> kernel again without changing the configuration but I should now have p2
> specific code? Is there anything in the kernel config file I need to
> check? Do I even need to rebuild since I had the I686_CPU setting?

Just rebuilding the kernel after modifying make.conf should be enough.

> 
> Next I guess I need to re-build the rest of the userland apps. Is it
> simply a case of building world, or do I have to go through the whole
> upgrade procedure as described in the Handbook?

Yeh a rebuild of world is necessary. Well, not necessary but definitely
recommended.


> 
> I want to stick to -RELEASE, does this change (bug/security fixes)? If
> so, how do I update? I can see CVSup config files for -CURRENT and
> -STABLE, but not for -RELEASE.

RELENG_X means FreeBSD X-STABLE, RELENG_X_Y means FreeBSD X.Y-RELEASE.
Read through the "make world" section of the handbook again.

> 
> I guess the last step is to recompile the ports I have installed. Is
> there a quick way to rebuild just the ports I have installed or do I
> need to go through them all one by one and 'make install clean' them?
> 
> Anything else I have missed?

The simplest way I would do is pkg_delete -ad. This would delete *all* the
installed ports. Then selectively rebuild the ports as required.

> Sorry for so many questions in one go!

You don't learn something unless you have the guts to ask, so be proud about
it. :-)

Regards,
S. 

Indian Institute of Information Technology
Subhro Sankha Kar
Block AQ-13/1, Sector V
Salt Lake City
PIN 700091
India
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