Place in the makefiles for the kernel, a general configuration
question that asks what 'size target' you are going to be using the kernel
for... IE: Right around there area where it asks you what CPU to compile
for (Pentium, PII, 386, ...), ask the following:
System role:
1) Minimum config
2) Desktop
3) Workstation
4) Workgroup Server
5) General Enterprise Server (web/file/cpu)
6) Enterprise Web Server
7) (Does it make sense to say Web server?... I
mean, are there cache/buffer settings that
would make a better web server as opposed
to a CPU server? Maybe list some roles
that are tunable, like CPU server, file
server, web server, router, application)
The idea is, instead of placing some tuning infomation in the
Documentation directory and leave it up to the user to figure out, make
some assumptions due to his/her choice, and have all the kernel
configurable settings set to intelligent choices for the role the user
chose.
For instance, chosing Enterprise server, would set all the open
file handles to massive numbers, set buffering and caching to high
limits... well, you know where I am going with this.
I thought this might help in the time when someone wants to build
a BIG box, and gets poor performance because his machine is not at all
tuned for that application... and he doesnt know how to do it. The
reverse is true, when someone wants to build a small foot print box. This
method still leaves it open for users to self tune a machine, it would
just set the kernel defaults to something resonable for their needs.
Currently, whether you have 4GB ram, and a terrabyte of disk, or a
386/16 with a 40M hard drive... you get the same
cache/buffer/filesystem/memory/scheduling/maxtasks/... for both, even
after compiling a new kernel.
Comments?
Chris
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Chris Newton, Technical Analyst
Computing Services, University of New Brunswick
newton@unb.ca 506-447-3212(voice) 506-453-3590(fax)
"Computers allow you to make more mistakes faster than
any other invention in human history, with the possible
exception of handguns and tequila." -- Mitch Radcliffe
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/