[CentOS] Re: Big thanks for supporting i586 type machines. -- isn't K6 = i686?

Sun Jul 31 00:21:47 UTC 2005
Lamar Owen <lowen at pari.edu>

On Saturday 30 July 2005 18:25, Bryan J. Smith wrote:
> The AMD K6-2+ don't run the i686 version?

Don't think cmov is supported, but I could be wrong.  I know the installer 
installs the i586 kernel, and I know that the nahant beta would not install.  
Following is /proc/cpuinfo for the box in question.  Note that it is not a 
K6/2+ (which has L2 cache on die, like the K6/3, just less cache, along with 
other highly desirable features), but a straight, 300MHz K6/2.

CPU Info:
[root at webcam2 ~]# cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor       : 0
vendor_id       : AuthenticAMD
cpu family      : 5
model           : 8
model name      : AMD-K6(tm) 3D processor
stepping        : 12
cpu MHz         : 300.962
cache size      : 64 KB
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 1
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr mce cx8 pge mmx syscall 3dnow k6_mtrr
bogomips        : 591.87

Hmmm, doesn't list cmov in the flags.  In contrast, my Pentium M laptop:
[lowen at localhost ~]$ cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor       : 0
vendor_id       : GenuineIntel
cpu family      : 6
model           : 9
model name      : Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 1700MHz
stepping        : 5
cpu MHz         : 599.650
cache size      : 1024 KB
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 2
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr mce cx8 mtrr pge mca cmov pat clflush 
dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 tm pbe est tm2
bogomips        : 1185.43

Lists cmov in the flags.

I bought eight of these boxes in one lot; they are Agilent OC-12 ATMprobes 
stripped of their OC-12 sniffer cardset (the sniffer cards have more CPU than 
the motherboard; twin StrongARM's plus some FPGA logic plus an i960 on a PCI 
dual card and an ISA card (the ISA card used only for power, and it contains 
that actual OC-12 PHY's (622 S/UNI PMC chips and glue to the twin StrongARM 
card; each StrongARM has, I think, 256MB of RAM, where the K6 was only given 
128MB).  I paid $20 per box.  Serial console by default; they do have a 
keyboard port up front hidden behind a panel, but no VGA.  Four PCI's and 
three ISA slots, and a peculiar ATX-connectored open frame power supply.  One 
usable IDE channel is available, on which is hung a single 4.3GB HD, and 
internally there is a Hitachi CV 8MB CFA drive (on the secondary channel, but 
set as the primary boot drive).  BIOS is Phoenix, and has serial port 
redirection.  Manufacturer string in the BIOS is 'Banner 0.12'.

So, no, i686 doesn't work.

Now, for the acid test for CentOS 4's i586 support; I have a dual Pentium 133 
server on which to test, including the nasty DAC960 RAID and four Adaptec 
EISA SCSI adapters (for an array of CD-ROMs in a LUN-expander library; over 
100 CD-ROM drives on on box).  If it will boot on frankenbox, it'll boot 
anywhere :-).  I'm not sure what I last ran on the box; might have been Red 
Hat 8.0 or so.
-- 
Lamar Owen
Director of Information Technology
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute
1 PARI Drive
Rosman, NC  28772
(828)862-5554
www.pari.edu