Arch Linux

synthead

Member

Registered: 2006-05-09

Posts: 1,337

Running everything multithreaded on a Core 2 Duo?

I have a Core 2 Duo CPU, and I would like to use it to its full potential.  For example, when a compile is in progress, it only uses one CPU and not the other.  Is there a way to be able to utilize both CPUs all the time or is this a bad idea?

somedrew

Member

From: Canada

Registered: 2007-05-14

Posts: 140

Re: Running everything multithreaded on a Core 2 Duo?

Append '-j3' to your make command to utilize both cores for compilation. The makeflag in /etc/makepkg.conf can be changed to that as well. In terms of everything else, it depends on the specific apps themselves: there's no way to force it.
cheers,

pelle.k

Member

From: Åre, Sweden (EU)

Registered: 2006-04-30

Posts: 667

Re: Running everything multithreaded on a Core 2 Duo?

You are already running processes on both cores, but if you want to run one specific application on both cores efficiently, it has to be written to to utilize threads. So there's only so much you can do about it.
In the end, it's pretty much up to the developers. Speaking of that, the BeOS (or haiku) API did force application developers to utilize threads in their applications, and they gave much of that work back to firefox when they ported firefox to BeOS/haiku. I wish more linux applications were ready for multi core environments...

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"Your beliefs can be like fences that surround you.
You must first see them or you will not even realize that you are not free, simply because you will not see beyond the fences.
They will represent the boundaries of your experience."
SETH / Jane Roberts