OpenBSD now has SMP support for amd64. Learn more about it here.
AMD64 SMP Support Ready for Testing
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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I’ve used OpenBSD since version 2.7 and use it exclusively on my server machines. It is a simple, elegant, stable OS. The only real “constructive criticism” I’ve ever had regarding OpenBSD was the lack of SMP support. I’m glad to see SMP support finally making its way into OpenBSD; especially in the AMD64 area.
I just wondered reading the rss-feed (my reader shows the title-lines only) whether amd64 a/k/a opteron-architecture and its smp-ability was something new and noteworthy … “OpenBSD amd64 smp support etc” would be a better title I guess.
Thanks for the news though
– Deucalion
OpenBSD is now ready for powerful servers with SMP support. Great work OpenBSD Team!!! (breaking some critics,
)
Credit where it’s due, SMP and AMD64 support come from NetBSD, where it’s been working for some time now…
Does OpenBSD support SMP on IA32 processors?
If so wouldn’t it only require 1 or 2 changes to support AMD64 SMP?
The instruction sets are almost the same so I don’t see why its such a big deal.
Nope. OpenBSD has never had SMP support. Hence, they are starting from scratch.
No, we are talking about full 64 bit support here. So that is more than just a “few changes”.
BTW, recently SMP gained SMP support for IA32 processorts.
The Athlon MP and the related dual-processors motherboards have been available for many years. Why has OpenBSD chosen the Athlon 64 instead of an older and (dare I say) more affordable platform ? Was it because the developer had only access to an Athlon 64 ?
Why has OpenBSD chosen the Athlon 64 instead of an older and (dare I say) more affordable platform ?
Both are being worked on, but the thing was that a quad Opteron was given to them for the duration of the Hackathon. i386 SMP has been a back burner project in OpenBSD for a while now, and has only recently been put in -CURRENT.