Subject: Re: mac start up
From: Ed Jaeger (ed.jaeger@bgcorp.com)
Date: Wed Jul 19 2000 - 13:41:54 MDT
No - MoL is completely usable in console mode. I don't run it under X,
so I can't speak to the speed (but I'll tell you something else about
console mode below).
I suspect your L2 cache is disabled in linux. For me, following the
instructions for setting the L2CR via BootX does not actually enable the
L2 cache. Here are results reported by Norton Sysinfo (MacBench won't
run for me under MoL) - I have a PowerLogix G3/350 running at 40x10 =
400 mHz:
Native MacOS 941 929
MoL - Cache Enabled 746 930
MoL - Cache Disabled 411 901
You can check your cache status and turn it on or off as follows:
[root@laura /root]# cat /proc/sys/kernel/l2cr
29000016: disabled,no parity,512KB,+2 clock,pipelined burst SRAM,data
only,copy-back,0.5ns hold
[root@laura /root]# echo '0xa9200016' > /proc/sys/kernel/l2cr
[root@laura /root]# cat /proc/sys/kernel/l2cr
a9000016: enabled,no parity,512KB,+2 clock,pipelined burst SRAM,data
only,copy-back,0.5ns hold
The magic number "0xa9200016" is the L2CR value reported by PowerLogix's
Cache Profiler ORed with "0x00200000" - i.e. under MacOS my L2CR value
is "0xa9000016". Yours may be different.
The reason I run MoL in console mode is that I can get better video
resolutions under MoL than I can under native MacOS. I'm using the
built-in ATI hardware (upgraded to 4mb) on a 20" Apple monitor. Under
MacOS the best I can do is 1152x864, 16 bit. There is 1280x960 and
1280x1024, but they are only 8 bit and 1280x1024 is 60 Hz. Under MoL I
can run 1280x1024, 16 bit, and 1600x1200, 8 bit if I set my refresh rate
correctly - these options just appear in "Monitors & Sound", and they
work!!! Obviously the hardware is capable of more than the MacOS
drivers let us get natively. I would love to figure out how MoL
programs the video hardware & get these resolutions outside of MoL.
David Fay wrote:
>
> Ed,
>
> I have a PowerBase with Powerlogix G3 also. Does MOL run at about 1/5
> speed for you also? Two symptoms are that the clock ticks only about
> once every five seconds and windows open in slow motion.
>
> David
>
-- Ed Jaeger, CFO, Bohlender Graebener Corporation ed.jaeger@bgcorp.com http://www.bgcorp.com --- I was going to buy a copy of "The Power of Positive Thinking", and then I thought: What the hell good would that do?---Ronnie Shakes
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a24 : Wed Jul 19 2000 - 13:45:43 MDT