Re: About Celeron processor memory barrier problem

Kai Henningsen
2000-12-24T13:26:29Z

torvalds@transmeta.com (Linus Torvalds) wrote on 23.12.00 in <Pine.LNX.4.10.10012230920330.2066-100000@penguin.transmeta.com>:

> On Thu, 23 Dec 1999, michael chen wrote:
> > I found that when I compiled the 2.4 kernel with the option
> > of Pentium III or Pentium 4 on a Celeron's PC, it could cause the
> > system hang at very beginning boot stage, and I found the problem
> > is cause by the fact that Intel Celeron doesn't have a real memory
> > barrier,but when you choose the Pentium III option, the kernel
> > assume the processor has a real memory barrier.
> > Here is a patch to fix it:
>
> No.
>
> The fix is to not lie to the configurator.
>
> A Celeron isn't a PIII, and you shouldn't tell the configure that it is.
>
> The whole point of being able to choose the CPU to optimize for is that we
> can optimize things at compile-time.

Which is all fine, but maybe the kernel really ought to detect that
problem and complain at boot time?

Or does that happen already?

MfG Kai