Subj : Re: re:Compiling old pentium code on a new machine
To   : comp.os.linux
From : Tyler Eaves
Date : Wed Oct 27 2004 01:36 am

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 23:07:56 +0000, Mark Hobley wrote:

> bigrigdriver <bigrigdriver1L@netscape-dot-net.no-spam.invalid> wrote:
>> Given the options available to gcc, I don't see why it's necessary to
>> have software optomized to P120 for all machines. It wastes the
>> superior processing capabalities of the faster CPU's. With gcc, it's
> 
> I will be network sharing binaries.
> 
> Thanks anyway.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Mark.

That's not a problem. Basically what the backwards-compaible optimizations
do is generate more code. So basically in cases where theres a signifigant
optimization that uses, say, MMX or some other non-Pentium 1 compatible
instruction, it basically generates 1 branch with the MMX instructions,
and then one without that'll run on a generic 386 or whatever. This is the
way almost all distros build their binaries. It's not quite as efficient
as pure i686 binaries on those machines, and the binaries are a bit bigger
than plain vanilla 3/486 binaries, but it's a very reasonable tradeoff.

.