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Sun Feb 20 16:52:19 PST 2005


$ cat /proc/cpuinfo
The output should tell you about your CPU. It is usually fine to choose a
processor lower than your actual processor, but not advisable to choose a
processor in the kernel config that is more recent than your present CPU.

> 	No biggie, since I didn't have any bloody gcc, I couldn't've
> compiled it anyway! ("Get RH 8.0 -- it's idiot proof" <grin>)

Ak! RH8 has no gcc? (I dont use RH much, but would expect them to have
some sort of gcc available for install. In RH 7.x there were 2-5 gcc
related packages that could be installed.)

> 	Also, since there can be no kernel config file yet, how do I tell
> which options have been selected in my present (working) kernel and which
> have not? (I'm not that much of a guru to be able to tell by looking --
> heckfire, I don't even know what to look AT.)

Ah, this is one of the advantages of using or installing the kernel src
that comes with your install CD. There should be a file in that installed
src tree's dir called ".config" That should contain the config options set
the way RH built your kernel. (Not sure if this is how RH8 does it, but I
would expect it.) Many of the config options selected by RH will not be
needed. However, there are tricky spots (software based mirroring, initrd
based installs, etc.) Starting from a RH packaged kernels ".config" file
is a difficult place to begin when first starting out. SOmetimes it is
easier to get a grasp of the process with a stock kernel from kernel.org.
(Note: some functionality in such a kernel may not have the same drivers
available as the ones shipped by RH.)

>>Optimization can be added to compiler to take advantage of special
>>features in newer processors, but it is easier for vendors to provide a
>>limited number of core packages that are not optimized for each processor
>>but compatible with a majority.
>
>>When installing gcc on redhat, they had the gcc packages and another
>>package (kgcc for kernel compiles.) I am not sure if RedHat still does
>>this.
>
> 	Gahhh. Nooooooooooo! Puleeeze tell me it ain't so! (This is nearly
> enough to drive me back to Slackware.)

Well, there is a history to this. RH shipped a newer version of gcc before
it was really "ready". As a result, kernels compiled with the gcc not
ready for true release were unstable. Thus, in their wisdom, they offered
kgcc as well as gcc (kgcc for kernels.) Things may be different now with
RH 8 and RH9.

>>So, you should be safe in installing the "386" named packages on a 686
>>based system with a 686 based kernel. It is not ok to install 686
>>packages onto a system that is not 686 and does not have a 686 kernel
>>and does not have support libs for 686.
>
> 	Now (while I'm awaiting gcc-3.3.tar.gz to finish dloading) I got a
> question about libraries: First, how do you install a library? ("Library
> Installation for Dummies..") Something tells me there's more to it than
> just putting the thing into /usr/lib. Which brings me to, can one just
> keep installing libraries -- as long as they're all named differently, I
> can't see what it'd hurt, but heyyy..

Generally, rmp based libraries install themselves when you
# rpm -i libs.rpm
(Where libs is the name of the lib being installed.)

Upgrading your core libs can be a big step and potentially more risky than
installing a new kernel. Adding "extra" libs is usually safe. Sometimes
people will say library when they are talkig about header files or dev
files. In cases with compiling mplayer and xine, they have extra libraries
that generally do not cause problems when installed. However, migrating
from libc5 to libc6/glibc can be tricky.

As for installation of header files, many apps that require linux src will
find the header files on their own.

Also, Mark Street offered a good suggestion. If yum is apt-get based (or a
clone) then it may be the easiest method to installing xine (your original
reason for starting this path.)

Apt-get is very sexy. dependencies can be done for you. You need X but
that needs y which needs z which needs W? No problem, it will go through
and select each for you (if it is like the apt system.)

HTH,
-ME




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