[Fwd: SMT & P4HT on I865]

From: Rem (remy_harel_at_yahoo.fr)
Date: 01/12/05

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    Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 01:21:10 +0100
To: debian-user@lists.debian.org

      Hi list,

     I've encoutered some problems this afternoon ( France guys, it's 7pm
    right now ;) ). I tried to install a debian on this hardware :

    Intel i865 + dual DDR 400
    Pentium 4 HT
    ICH5 controller but I use one P-ATA ( IDE ) Drive.

     I tried debian testing, with 2.6.3 kernel default, it works fine, but
    Hyperthreading is not assumed, even if I enabled it in BIos. So I
    recompiled the kernel, the debian 2.6.8. First, this ***... sh.. refuse
    to boot, unable to mount root fs. This is not my first kernel
    recompilation, I have already compiled more than 100 kernels on several
    computeur and servers and wrote article about it, it's my job ( System
    engineer ). There is no log, due to the quick kernel panic, and my ide
    controller is "built-in", such as my FS. My /boot/grub/menu.lst is good
    too. So I tried a 2.6.7 from kernel.org,and of course it works great
    with the same .config and even a 2.6.10 still from kernel.org and it
    works really good too. Well, the 2.6.8 sucks...but I don't care, my
    2.6.10 is allright.

     Another thing interesteding, if I activate HT in the bios, and SMP is
    set, the kernel won't boot, whatever the kernel version ( 2.6.8 2.6.7
    and 2.6.10 ). It bugs, and shows messages about APIC and Null pointer
    exception, it look likes the 2 virtuals processors don't run well
    together. I don't understand why, is there something special to activate
    ? In fact, it's just the SMP option who matters, SMT or not SMT.

     So I thought that my P4 HT is not hypertreadable, and I tried Gentoo
    live cd ( ;) ) and Knoppix live cd. It works great, detects 2
    processeurs, 12 000Bogomips and runs very well.

    So the P4 is hyperthreadable ( Knoppix and gentoo work fine ), my
    kernel configuration is good ( same .config ) but the debian won't boot
    whatever the kernel if SMP is set in the bios.

    Any feedback would be apreciated or experience with this hardware.

    Best regards,

    Rem 

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