Please explain make -j to my little brain

[Ashley Moran]

On Monday 15 May 2006 11:23, Richard Collyer wrote:
> The way I understand it is that 1 core would do this...
>
> compile .... read disk .... compile .... read disk ... compile
>
> It wont be reading when it is compiling and cant compile when its
> reading so if you do -j 2 even on a single core machine it could do:
>
> compile .... read disk .... complile .... read disk ... compile
> read disk .... complile .... read disk ... compile .... read disk
>
> Which means neither the CPU or the disks are idle resulting in faster
> performance.

Thanks Richard + Bill I get it now.

Presumably with faster disks, the lower the number of make processes you 
require.

Ashley

-- 
"If you do it the stupid way, you will have to do it again"
  - Gregory Chudnovsky