>HOw great is the performance gain from SMP? I have been debating this >with a friend. I know linux has muli-threaded capability, but like the
I'm not a linux guru, in fact, I'd label myself as a linux struggler. That aside, I can tell you that the performance gain of multiple processors entirely what you wish to do with the linux box. If your linux computer provides access to a ppp connection, as in a firewall, trust me, SMP won't give you any real performance. Same goes for most database applications. Where SMP really flies is when you are compiling, using some kind of CAD or spreadsheet software, or something that's calculation or processor intensive. A good friend of mine is running Linux (Redhad actually) on his dual-pentium pro 128Mb machine, which he uses primarily for games, X, and PC-board layout software. All three of the applications run lightening quick, while still being a webserver/ftpserver off a dial-up connection. By coincidence, I have the identical machine (we got them at a computer fair at the same time), but running NT instead, doing basically the same thing. Quake runs faster on my NT box, the dial-up internet connection absolutely KILLS my system performance, and the PC-Board layout software also chokes. Of course, this is comparing apples and oranges - NT software is much different than Unix software. Maybe prettier in some aspects, but its slooooooooooow. To utilize SMP, you have to recompile the operating system, no doubt about that. Sorry for the tangent.
