9750 and Linux RAID, wireless, etc - Page 2

BT,

Thanks for your help. I was able to get VMWare up and running under ubuntu AMD64
SMP. This is great stuff!

I have installed powernowd, but I am not putting a load on it because, I can't get it up to 2.4GHz. It once in awhile moves up, but for about a second before it goes back down.

Thanks agan,
curia

Linux Kernel 2.6.15 compile benchmark on Sager 9750

Hello all.
To show the performance of the dual core, one of the most interesting test is to compile the Linux kernel. I've decided to test it with the latest release : Linux 2.6.15 and with a previous release : Linux 2.6.4 (This is to compare it with this Dual Opteron review of the Sun W2100z done by AnandTech http://www.anandtech.com/systems/sho...px?i=2255&p=12 )

You extract the Linux kernel to a directory, and run 'make menuconfig' to generate a simple Makefile.
Between each tests I did a 'make clean' to erase any precompiled

Linux 2.6.15
Compiling using a single cpu can be done with 'make -j1'. The results of 'time make -j1' is 20m34s real time (User time is 18m1s, System time is 2m50s).
Compiling using both cpu's is done with 'make -j3', and it results in a kernel compiled in 7m50s real time (User time is 12m41s, system time is 2m15s).

Linux 2.6.4
Compiling using a single cpu can be done with 'make -j1'. The results of 'time make -j1' is 13m41s real time (User time is 11m51s, System time is 1m47s).
Compiling using both cpu's is done with 'make -j3', and it results in a kernel compiled in 6m49s real time (User time is 10m25s, system time is 1m46s).
Compare it with Dual AMD Opteron 250 http://www.anandtech.com/systems/sho...px?i=2255&p=12

Nice performance increase moving from a single core to a dual core, but still not as performant as an Opteron.

Erik

Try this:

run the install:
Download this:
http://platan.vc.cvut.cz/ftp/pub/vmw...pdate96.tar.gz
The install should then go through. I think I got everything. If you have any more issues let me know.

Thank you for your help again. I the Utunbu distro is not bad at all. I have been able to get several features installed, as well as, Nvidia 3D. It is a nice OS

Any luck in getting the camera to work in Linux?

My Linux Configuration

Just wanted to let you know that I am using the following with no issues:

Ubuntu 64bit with SMP
VMWare 5.1.1
NVidia 3D
bluetooth
two DVD drives
wireless (SuperG) been only have it working at 54 not at 108

Right now the only thing I don't have working is the camera.

I must say that is install was much easier then my AX7 (D475K).

I was very impressed that most of the components installed and configured correctly in the AMD64 distro.

I haven't gotten the camera to ork under linux, and I don't expect I ever will.

Curia007, upgrade your VMware workstation from 5.1.1 to 5.5.1. It will allow you to run machines in 32bit mode and in 64bit mode.

Erik

Answer to a email about 9750/D900K and Linux

Hiya Stig,

I'm not the the only one using Linux on the Sager 9750 / Clevo D900K, BigTrouble77 is also using Linux on these laptops.

But I'll answer most of your questions.
- No I didn't have problems installing a 64bit release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 on the 9750. It damm fast... I believe BigTrouble77 used Ubuntu or Debian.
- Most devices in the laptop work, the exceptions are : The USB Cam, and I don't expect it ever will. Those taiwanese USB Cams already have very weird drivers under Windows, so I don't think we will see them in Linux. The CF card works, but the SD didn't recognize my cards. I have not tested the Infra-Red stuff either. But the rest is good.
- No I'm not using the Hardware RAID on the system. I've put two Seagate Momentus 7200rpm 100GB SATA drives, and I use a combination of software-raid1 for the OS partitions /boot / /usr /opt /var and the top of /home. I've got two standalone NTFS partitions at the head of each disk for a small Windows XP install to play World of Warcraft. The rest of the disk is stripped under LVM for the vmware machines /home/vmimages /temp /opt. It's a complex file-system organisation to install, but I get the benefits of performance, space etc...
- I've create two vm's with SMP, they work fine, but not both at the same time, because of the performence impact. But what IS important for me is running RHEL4 in 64bit, and having inside VMware Workstation 5.5, Windows and Linux machines either in 32bit and 64bit at the same time. That's very neat. I use VMware ESX platforms at clients, so I can move systems from my laptop to major quad-dual-core opteron ESX servers.

Sure the 9750 is a heavy animal, but it's a true dual-core performer. For example. Compile the Linux Kernel 2.6.15 on a single core of the AMD X2 4800+ takes about 21 minutes, compile Linux kernel 2.6.15 with the 'make -j3' command (3 thread) and it goes down to about 7 minutes. That's speed increase for you. Take the AMD with the 1MB cache per core (4400, 4800 or FX60)

Hope this helps a bit.
Regards,
Erik

Software RAID combo (RAID1,RAID0,Standalone and LVM]

[Just posted this in another RAID0 section, but as it's mainly configured under Linux, I'll put it in this section too. - Erik]

I would never want to use RAID0. If you loose just a tiny bit of one disk, you will loose the whole RAID0 disk. RAID0 is the best way to reduce the MTBF (Mean Time Before Failre) of your disk-subsystem.

I've decided to stick with a two separate disk config, and use software raid at the operating system level to improve the redundancy of the system. The operating system is spliced into a few different partitions, most are done in RAID1, temporary files are kept on a RAID0, the swap files are dedicated partitions on each disks, and the rest of the spare space is lumped together under LVM (equivalent to a RAID0 config).

Now, I've done this config under Linux, but you should be able to do the same kind of config under Windows XP. I've added below my config, and in parathensis the RAID1 or LVM status of each partition. Enjoy

[root@sager9750 ~]# df
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/md1 2063440 275704 1682920 15% / [RAID1]
/dev/md0 101018 16569 79233 18% /boot [RAID1]
none 1029244 0 1029244 0% /dev/shm
/dev/mapper/vol00-log00 124886948 101094588 17448476 86% /home [LVM Strip across the remaining space]
/dev/md6 6190592 5237936 638192 90% /home/username [RAID1]
/dev/md5 4126976 933880 2983456 24% /opt [RAID1]
/dev/md4 4126912 41656 3875620 2% /tmp [RAID0]
/dev/md2 6190592 3748816 2127312 64% /usr [RAID1]
/dev/md3 3099160 235252 2706480 8% /var [RAID1]

[root@sager9750~]# swapon -s
Filename Type Size Used Priority
/dev/sdb3 partition 1534196 0 -1
/dev/sda3 partition 1534196 0 -2

Erik

Wow.. a following of Linux Users... this is Awesome...

*sniffle* I love you guys!!

Ackkkkk I cant stand it anymore Im ordering the 9750 right now damit.

Ackkkkk I cant stand it anymore Im ordering the 9750 right now damit.

hmmm...negative swap priorities?? Now I'm curious...why?

Swap priority is 0 - 32767, and multiple identical partitions are usually set to the same priority to "stripe" the swap for a performance boost.

pericles ~ # swapon -s
Filename Type Size Used Priority
/dev/mapper/hda_swap partition 1004052 267596 1
/dev/mapper/hdc_swap partition 1004052 267520 1


What's your secret?!? C'mon, share!


troymc

swap priority settings

Thanks Troymc for your input. It seems when swap is configured in /etc/fstab
with the default option, it will allocated them automaticaly a priority (-1, -2 etc...)

I've changed my /etc/fstab and replace the default to a pri=1 so that both
swap partitions have the same priorities and allow a better swap-disk
performance. Thanks for the heads up...

Everyday you learn something new

Whoa... Troymc, I followed your Gentoo AMD64 on Clevo D900K link. Very good documentation, info and references. Thanks a lot for that

You're welcome.

Feel free to add/correct.

Also, any comments/suggestions are very welcome.


troymc

sorry to be a newbie, but..

K so I'm a pharm. student with a $5000 budget. I'm basically set on the 9750. But I'm a newb so question is: why not the 9890? Is it harder to install linux on it? It's either AMD64 or the Intel. Honest to God I hate Intel but I just wanna know what the actual difference is. What about (don't laugh) battery life? If I can squeeze those extra minutes it'd be extremely helpful.

the RAID settings.. I guess you guys have already gotten RAID 0 to work under linux on the 9750? What would be the best physical HD config?

Is there any way that the smaller models (eg 5720) also do RAID? - this is the only reason i'm not gettin the 5720 instead, btw..

What about the sound? I've got a 5.1 speaker system - would the 9750 support all 5 speakers (it's got 3 plugs) . I'm kind of confused with this whole Azalia-compliant thing.. anyone help me out?

- The AMD64 processors used in the Sager 9750 (4200, 4400, 4600, 4800 and FX60) have dual cores. So you have nearly (~1.8x) twice the cpu performance. This is going to be usefull if you run complexe programs, simulation programs, compiling, etc... These processor are truly 64bit/32bit processors, while even some Intel EM64T have issues with 64bit operating systems.

- Battery life... forget it. Don't take a Sager 9750 for it's battery life. You might squeeze about 45-60 minutes or more, but I use the battery life in my Sager 9750 as an internal UPS. If you really need a battery life, take other models in the 57xx series.

- The Sager 9750 comes with a integrated RAID1/0 chipset. It's not the difficulty of using it under linux the issue. The chipset works fine for Linux or Windows. Now, what is at stake is your DATA. There are differences in the way you setup your harddisks. RAID0 means that the two disks look like a huge disk. Say 100Gb + 100Gb = 200Gb. That's awesome in size... but if one of the two drives fails... you loose all the data, because you can't use the one disk without the other. So your Mean Time Between Failure of your disks is actually halved... It's statistics. If you want reduandancy, you use RAID1, so now if you have two disks of 100Gb, well your result is that you will have a grand total of 100Gb. If effect you loose 1 disks, because it contains exactly the same data as on the other disk. Write performance is lower (the data needs to be written to two disks), but your read performance is better. Personally I decided that I wanted a mixture of RAID0 and RAID1 on my own system, that is my I decided to setup Software RAID under Linux. It's more complicated to install, but it works better for my needs.

- The smaller models like the 5720 only use one disk. So you can't use RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks).

- Unfortunately the integrated sound on the Sager 9750 is not as good as the rest of the system. Actually the hardware might be good, but it's the implementation of the Realtek AC97 drivers under Windows that give a problem. A few of the early Sager 9750 users have moved to using the Creative Labs Audify 2 ZS Notebook soundcard. This card is good and has the proper audio-plugin to connect to your 5.1 external Speaker system.

I hope I anwer your questions. Everyone has a slightly different view of what they want, have and have configured.

TKD, if you trully have 5000$ worth of budget...
You might better be off to look into one serious laptop for doing simulations, molecule engineering... like the Sager 9750 and put the rest of your budget in a smaller portable with battery laptop to take notes. Something like the HP Table TC4200 (about 1500$) with Windows XP Table. This combo could solve your needs.

Regards,
Erik

Thanks, Erik! Damn, you know what you're talking about. Thanks for the awesome input. While I did think of that other possibility, I kinda just want to make it into 1 sick machine (like the one you've got). See, I really don't care how heavy the thing is (the rucksack I haul in the Army is 100lbs+) so maybe a second of those monstrous batteries would help..? In emergencies yes, it's basically UPS but if it can last for 1 class even, I wouldn't hesitate any further.

I thought the 57xx can have 2 harddrives (second bay?) .. guess it doesnt have the chip huh..

I got confused by the claim "8.1 surround bla bla without external decoder" Azalia-compliant or whatever it said.. The Audigy PCMCIA didn't have 3 input ports when I took a look.. Guess I'm shot for sound too.

But it all doesn't matter. I think the RAID0/1 combo would be great to have.. man.. with dual core too.. it's SET! So go with AMD FX then right?

What about undervolting of these desktop procs? haha don't laugh. I'm just tryin to be crazy here. This thing will go everywhere I go and it'd better be versatile (I know this is asking too much out of it)

OK, well, I'll be asking for your help settin up linux pretty soon that's for sure hahahah