Slamd64

I've installed Slamd64 on my new AMD system. Initially, I had SATA issues that have mysteriously disappeared (no idea why, other than maybe swapping out that SATA cables helped). I installed using Disk 1 only (I didn't download anything else), which has the core system components. I then wanted to boot X, which required me downloading the X and KDE software. In fact, I went ahead and copied a whole mirror site and will continue to rsync the site against my local copy, using the updated local mirror as a upgrade repository.

I had issues getting my mouse recognized. I've a Logitech MX1000 wireless mouse, which is connected to a KVM. Slamd64 detects it as a PS/2 mouse. Slamd64 has PS/2 mice blacklisted, so I had to unblock the psmouse module from /etc/modules.d/blacklist (by uncommenting the module entry). Then I loaded the module and rebooted. The reboot detected the mouse. It took me a while to find this tidbit of info (although, it was recorded on the Slamd64 forums). I'll be adding this to my local knowledgbase (in fact, I need to add a whole Slamd64 category first).

I've also installed phpsysinfo on this machine, so I can see the hardware and how it is detected by this tool. From what I've seen so far, the second CPU core takes the brunt of the load, with the first CPU core assisting when the second is maxed out...I don't know if this is normal or a software issue (maybe phpsysinfo needs to be optimized for dual core usage?), but I only tested this by refreshing the phpsysinfo browser session (it appears to put a quick load on the system...dunno if that's normal or not).

Anyways, if things go well with this distro, I'll be using this machine as my main Linux machine, eventually.

AMD vs. Intel Comparison

About the new AMD system I recently bought...

The AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ rocks when compared to my Intel system, which uses a Pentium D830. The AMD CPU is running on an Abit NF-M2SV board with 1GB of RAM. The Intel system is running on an ECS nForce 570 SLIT-A v5.1 mainboard and 2GB of RAM. While the Intel system outguns the AMD system, spec-wise, the AMD system is quite a bit more responsive...the whole system seems and responds like it is extremely lightweight. Both are running XP Pro. The AMD CPU runs 104F temps on the average, while the Intel CPU is in the 120F range...and this system has the beefier CPU fan/heatsink too! The AMD CPU cooler is here. It is an Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 LP. The Intel CPU cooler is here and is apparently a standard issue HSF (Intel Socket 775 Cooling Fan, although it is badged as an Ultra unit).

I'm very impressed!

No, I don't have any benchmark specs (you can probably find these online via Google), but this is really a seat-of-the-pants comparison. That I noticed such a difference in this manner should speak for itself.

Now, I've split the 250GB drive on the AMD system in half, to test Slamd64, an unofficial 64-bit port of Slackware (which is a 32-bit OS). I've run into issues booting up Slamd64, though...I've been getting SATA-specific errors that hint that the hard drive is going bad (which I seriously doubt). I think I've seen these errors before when I last installed Slackware on a SATA drive...I think I selected the wrong kernel. I need to select a kernel specific to SATA support. I'll work on this during the next 7 days and report my findings here.

I'm seriously thinking on swapping the Intel machine for the AMD one, since the AMD machine appears more robust.

Ordered a new system last night

Since its been awhile since I've built a new machine and since I wanted a taste of 64-bit and dual core technology, I purchased this last night:

ECS nForce 570 SLIT-A v5.1 Socket 775 Barebone Kit / Intel Pentium D 830 OEM / 250GB SATA HDD / 18x DVD±RW DL / 1GB DDR2 PC4200 / CPU Fan / ATX Mid-Tower Case / 500 Watt Power Supply

Additionally, I bought an EVGA GeForce 7300 GT video card with 512MB PCIe, DVI, and HDTV, since the new system will require a PCIe video card, which I don't have.

I think I've accounted for everything when buying this system, hardware-wise. I'll utilize a KVM, so I won't need another keyboard/mouse for it.

Software-wise, I'll most likely be putting some form of Windows on this system. This system will be using newer technology that *nix may or may not fully support and my troubleshooting time is limited. So, I guess I'm in the market for a 64-bit OS. I don't trust Vista yet, so I'll see about getting the 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional.

This WILL be a gaming rig, but I'd also like to try my hand at 64-bit Linux when I've a bit more free time available, so eventually, it may turn into a dual-boot system. What flavor of Linux? Something that won't take long to get running and will be low maintenance, so it won't be Slackware-based, most likely, unless Zenwalk or something similar supports 64-bit Intel dual core CPUs. Hopefully Pat can look into either factoring in 64-bit support in Slackware or sanctioning and supporting Slamd64 in a way that will make it easier to use.

So, I guess I've a 1 to 3 week wait for all these parts to come in, so I can build this system. The case and power supply are on the way now, but the other parts are still in the queue with no update, with the exception of the RAM, which is on back order. Hopefully, they'll get 'un-backlogged' soon.