new linux-image: why?

[fransex gmail]

Hi trygvebw,

> Why is it then that i feel that my computer is faster when i use the 686 kernel?

Well, if it is just a feeling, I'd try to benchmark 'pure' cpu usage.
It is also possible that K7 image is less optimized due to different
compiler (gcc) version or different conpilation flags.

Here you are some info from thje packages' maintainers:

apt-cache show linux-image-2.6.12-1-k7
Description: Linux kernel image for version 2.6.12 on AMD K7.  This
package contains the Linux kernel image for version 2.6.12 on AMD
Duron/Athlon...

apt-cache show linux-image-2.6.12-1-686
Description: Linux kernel image for version 2.6.12 on
PPro/Celeron/PII/PIII/PIV. This package contains the Linux kernel
image for version 2.6.12 on Pentium Pro/Celeron/Pentium II/Pentium
III/Pentium IV...

And 2 more links:

[portuguese] http://www.guiadohardware.net/kurumin/dicas/003/
[german] http://www.debianforum.de/forum/viewtopic.php?p=273720

> And why is it then that i recieve higher HD benchmark results when i use the 686 one?

There can be several reasons:

- Wrong module loading at startup (check /etc/modules):

amd74xx --> AMD and NVIDIA chipsets
via82cxx --> VIA chipsets

- DMA turned on/off for drive /dev/hdX:

Try 'hdparm -d1 /dev/hdX' and if that works,
change in hdparm.conf
/dev/hdx {
dma = on
}

- Bad options in default .config, (e.g. preemtible kernel set to off...)

You can find your .config in:
/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.12-1-k7/.config
/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.12-1-686/.config

If you fancy to have a perfectly optimized kernel for your system, try
to make your own kernel, In Debian it is an easy process (with
kernel-package) that leads you learning a lot:

[english] http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/KernelCompileHowto
[spanish] http://www.ubuntu-es.org/node/431
[spanish] http://www.mononeurona.org/index.php?idp=210

Excuse me for my typos. Hope this helps!