Newbie--new install on Core 2 Duo?

[pete wright]

On 2/13/07, Gerard <gerard at seibercom.net> wrote:
> On Tuesday February 13, 2007 at 01:42:23 (PM) pete wright wrote:
>
>
> > how would you define "correct"?  have all systems boot with a SMP
> > kernel by default so that machines with multiple processors
> > automatically detect all available CPU's?  then what about all the
> > users that are using uni-proc systems?
> >
> > i think the current state of building a system w/o SMP enabled is
> > great.  it's not that hard to do a:
> >
> > cd /usr/src
> > make buildkernel KERNCONF=SMP
> > make installkernel KERNCONF=SMP
> > reboot
> >
> > this is all covered in the FreeBSD handbook, which all new
> > admin's/users should be reading and following closely anyway ;)
>
> It is also a hugh waste of time. Doing the initial system installation,
> there should be an option at the very least to enable SMP. Installing
> a system, then having to rebuilt and and reinstall it again if counter
> productive.
>
> The market is moving toward multiple CPUs. The FBSD installation routine
> should embrace that reality and afford it the proper consideration that
> it deserves.
>

hmm...didn't realize that not loading a SMP kernel by default would
turn people away from running FreeBSD.  building a kernel is much
different from reinstalling a system though...

OT, but - I know a fair amount of locations will have a custom kernel,
and most large sites will script sysinstall to load a custom kernel as
well.  yet, for "junior" admins maybe a boot time option allow one to
load a SMP kernel during the install phase (which would also be the
kernel the system boot's from after installation) may be helpfull.
There are currently options to disable ACPI (granted that's a .ko) but
perhaps there is precedent to do this.


anyway, sounds like a good PR :)

-pete



-- 
~~o0OO0o~~
Pete Wright
www.nycbug.org
NYC's *BSD User Group