[gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

I consider buying a new machine for my office in december.

The intel core-i7-6xxx look interesting to me, although the plain CPU
performance isn't that much better than my plain old i7-2600 when I look
at cpunbenchmark.net

I assume the overall package makes more difference: DDR4-RAM, etc etc

Does anyone here already run such a box with gentoo?

opinions, experiences, warnings?

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Am 2015-12-02 um 23:13 schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:
> 
> I consider buying a new machine for my office in december.
> 
> The intel core-i7-6xxx look interesting to me, although the plain CPU
> performance isn't that much better than my plain old i7-2600 when I look
> at cpunbenchmark.net
> 
> I assume the overall package makes more difference: DDR4-RAM, etc etc

Ordered today. Looking forward ..
It will be triple-boot: gentoo, fedora, win10 (as I paid for it)

ordered with standard 8 gigs of RAM for a start, more later.
right now my box uses 1425 megs with full gnome-3.18 running ... so what
 ...

I assume an optimized kernel will perform quite well on that CPU.
Although I am no expecting too much. 5yrs of improvement ? ;)

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Alan McKinnon]

On 09/12/2015 22:39, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
> Am 2015-12-02 um 23:13 schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:
>>
>> I consider buying a new machine for my office in december.
>>
>> The intel core-i7-6xxx look interesting to me, although the plain CPU
>> performance isn't that much better than my plain old i7-2600 when I look
>> at cpunbenchmark.net
>>
>> I assume the overall package makes more difference: DDR4-RAM, etc etc
> 
> Ordered today. Looking forward ..
> It will be triple-boot: gentoo, fedora, win10 (as I paid for it)
> 
> ordered with standard 8 gigs of RAM for a start, more later.
> right now my box uses 1425 megs with full gnome-3.18 running ... so what
>  ...
> 
> I assume an optimized kernel will perform quite well on that CPU.
> Although I am no expecting too much. 5yrs of improvement ? ;)

Did you get an SSD as well?

It's one of the biggest performance improvements you can make[1] and to
be honest is worth more overall than expensive CPUs.

[1] The other huge improvement is another 8G of RAM and make
/var/tmp/portage a tmpfs with default settings (it will use up to 8G RAM
on demand). Everything you build will fit, including firefox and libreoffice


-- 
Alan McKinnon
alan.mckinnon@gmail.com

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Am 2015-12-09 um 21:42 schrieb Alan McKinnon:

> Did you get an SSD as well?

sure. I even look for the PCIe variant (just contacted my dealer for
this option ... forgot in the first place).

I am on SSDs for years now on desktop and laptops.

> It's one of the biggest performance improvements you can make[1] and to
> be honest is worth more overall than expensive CPUs.
> 
> [1] The other huge improvement is another 8G of RAM and make
> /var/tmp/portage a tmpfs with default settings (it will use up to 8G RAM
> on demand). Everything you build will fit, including firefox and libreoffice

I have that right now, yes.

The RAM was out of stock there so I ordered the 8g-default and will add
more later.

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Alan McKinnon]

On 09/12/2015 23:24, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
> Am 2015-12-09 um 21:42 schrieb Alan McKinnon:
> 
>> Did you get an SSD as well?
> 
> sure. I even look for the PCIe variant (just contacted my dealer for
> this option ... forgot in the first place).
> 
> I am on SSDs for years now on desktop and laptops.
> 
>> It's one of the biggest performance improvements you can make[1] and to
>> be honest is worth more overall than expensive CPUs.
>>
>> [1] The other huge improvement is another 8G of RAM and make
>> /var/tmp/portage a tmpfs with default settings (it will use up to 8G RAM
>> on demand). Everything you build will fit, including firefox and libreoffice
> 
> I have that right now, yes.
> 
> The RAM was out of stock there so I ordered the 8g-default and will add
> more later.

Sounds like you're all set to use that i7 to it's fullest :-)



-- 
Alan McKinnon
alan.mckinnon@gmail.com

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Am 2015-12-09 um 22:49 schrieb Alan McKinnon:

> Sounds like you're all set to use that i7 to it's fullest :-)

most of my work is terminal stuff ... and email

the i7-2600 does that as well, if we are honest!

I will give the i7-2xxx to someone with a way older CPU ... so it all
works out in a way ;-)

the i7-6700 should be more snappy in a way. And I think, some fitting
CFLAGS will help as well.

evolution instead of revolution

We will see.
I will see ;)

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[waltdnes]

On Wed, Dec 09, 2015 at 11:03:23PM +0100, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote
> Am 2015-12-09 um 22:49 schrieb Alan McKinnon:
> 
> > Sounds like you're all set to use that i7 to it's fullest :-)
> 
> most of my work is terminal stuff ... and email
> 
> the i7-2600 does that as well, if we are honest!
> 
> I will give the i7-2xxx to someone with a way older CPU ... so it all
> works out in a way ;-)
> 
> the i7-6700 should be more snappy in a way. And I think, some fitting
> CFLAGS will help as well.

  You can't get beat...

CFLAGS="-O2 -march=native -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -fno-unwind-tables -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables"

  That's what I use, except for cross-compiling.  For an explanation of
the "unwind" flags, see thread...
http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.busybox/36695  from the busybox
mailing list.  And don't forget CPU_FLAGS_X86.  Emerge and run
app-portage/cpuinfo2cpuflags as soon as you can during the install
process.  I believe that's right after running "eselect profile".  And
then run "emerge system && emerge world".  It's a lot quicker when you
don't have very much installed on the machine.

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Am 10.12.2015 um 05:50 schrieb waltdnes@waltdnes.org:

> CFLAGS="-O2 -march=native -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -fno-unwind-tables -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables"
> 
>   That's what I use, except for cross-compiling.  For an explanation of
> the "unwind" flags, see thread...
> http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.busybox/36695  from the busybox
> mailing list.  And don't forget CPU_FLAGS_X86.  Emerge and run
> app-portage/cpuinfo2cpuflags as soon as you can during the install
> process.  I believe that's right after running "eselect profile".  And
> then run "emerge system && emerge world".  It's a lot quicker when you
> don't have very much installed on the machine.

did not know that tool, thanks.
Will try on my existing box already.

Do I have to set that variable then (in make.conf?) ?

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Frank Steinmetzger]

On Thu, Dec 10, 2015 at 07:46:51AM +0100, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
> Am 10.12.2015 um 05:50 schrieb waltdnes@waltdnes.org:
> 
> > CFLAGS="-O2 -march=native -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -fno-unwind-tables -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables"
> > 
> >   That's what I use, except for cross-compiling.  For an explanation of
> > the "unwind" flags, see thread...
> > http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.busybox/36695  from the busybox
> > mailing list.  And don't forget CPU_FLAGS_X86.  Emerge and run
> > app-portage/cpuinfo2cpuflags as soon as you can during the install
> > process.
> […]
> did not know that tool, thanks.
> Will try on my existing box already.

I always wondered why it is not included in the stage3. It is very small and
– after all – basically everyone needs it in a new install (except for a
re-install for which one can write down the previous installation’s CFLAGS).

-- 
Gruß | Greetings | Qapla’ 
Sometimes the fingers are faster then grammar.

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[waltdnes]

On Thu, Dec 10, 2015 at 07:46:51AM +0100, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote
> Am 10.12.2015 um 05:50 schrieb waltdnes@waltdnes.org:
> 
> > CFLAGS="-O2 -march=native -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe -fno-unwind-tables -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables"
> > 
> >   That's what I use, except for cross-compiling.  For an explanation of
> > the "unwind" flags, see thread...
> > http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.busybox/36695  from the busybox
> > mailing list.  And don't forget CPU_FLAGS_X86.  Emerge and run
> > app-portage/cpuinfo2cpuflags as soon as you can during the install
> > process.  I believe that's right after running "eselect profile".  And
> > then run "emerge system && emerge world".  It's a lot quicker when you
> > don't have very much installed on the machine.
> 
> did not know that tool, thanks.
> Will try on my existing box already.
> 
> Do I have to set that variable then (in make.conf?) ?

  Yes, you should.  While you're at it, you can remove the corresponding
flags from the USE= variable.  I don't know if they're honored by
portage any longer.  I assume you missed the news item back in January.
It's archived and you can read it at...
https://www.gentoo.org/support/news-items/2015-01-28-cpu_flags_x86-introduction.html

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Am 10.12.2015 um 19:52 schrieb waltdnes@waltdnes.org:

>> Do I have to set that variable then (in make.conf?) ?
> 
>   Yes, you should.  While you're at it, you can remove the corresponding
> flags from the USE= variable.  I don't know if they're honored by
> portage any longer.  I assume you missed the news item back in January.
> It's archived and you can read it at...
> https://www.gentoo.org/support/news-items/2015-01-28-cpu_flags_x86-introduction.html

thanks for the pointer, did that right now (still on the i7-2600 ...
waiting).

I didn't have anything like that in USE= anymore, anyway.

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Am 2015-12-11 um 10:33 schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:
> Am 10.12.2015 um 19:52 schrieb waltdnes@waltdnes.org:
> 
>>> Do I have to set that variable then (in make.conf?) ?
>>
>>   Yes, you should.  While you're at it, you can remove the corresponding
>> flags from the USE= variable.  I don't know if they're honored by
>> portage any longer.  I assume you missed the news item back in January.
>> It's archived and you can read it at...
>> https://www.gentoo.org/support/news-items/2015-01-28-cpu_flags_x86-introduction.html
> 
> thanks for the pointer, did that right now (still on the i7-2600 ...
> waiting).
> 
> I didn't have anything like that in USE= anymore, anyway.

update: machine is here, all three OSes installed already.
Snappy performance, nice ...

Right now I am fiddling with getting Gnome installed and running.

Fedora needed the kernel option "i915.preliminary_hw_support=1" set (in
grub.cfg) to enable the skylake graphics.

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Am 2015-12-13 um 11:39 schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:

> Right now I am fiddling with getting Gnome installed and running.

I have X starting now. gdm as well, but with problems:

the mouse somehow pulls a "curtain" up and down ... so the display is
not correct. The lower part is one color only so I can't do anything
useful yet.

And the display seems to be shifted, "Activities" (should be left upper
corner) has the on/off and speaker symbols to its left.

If I pull the mouse down to the bottom of the screen the desktop snaps
into correct place.

Strange ;)

-

Is it possible that stable (in gentoo terms) Xorg does not yet fully
support skylake graphics?

btw I also placed the firmware from

https://01.org/zh/linuxgraphics/intel-linux-graphics-firmwares

into /lib/firmware/i915

stefan

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Am 2015-12-13 um 12:50 schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:
> If I pull the mouse down to the bottom of the screen the desktop snaps
> into correct place.

found this:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-7800470.html

the module option is now "enable_ips=0" ... but this doesn't work for me
so far.

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Am 2015-12-13 um 13:05 schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:
> Am 2015-12-13 um 12:50 schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:
>> If I pull the mouse down to the bottom of the screen the desktop snaps
>> into correct place.
>
> found this:
>
> https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-7800470.html
>
> the module option is now "enable_ips=0" ... but this doesn't work for me
> so far.

And I get occasional hangups with fedora :-(

I can't tell if they would happen with gentoo as well as I don't use it 
that much as long as Gnome doesn't work.

shiny new hardware, shiny new problems

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

On 12/15/2015 03:02 PM, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
> Am 2015-12-13 um 13:05 schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:
>> Am 2015-12-13 um 12:50 schrieb Stefan G. Weichinger:
>>> If I pull the mouse down to the bottom of the screen the desktop snaps
>>> into correct place.

For the records and ml-archives:

a later kernel (I am on git-sources now) solved the problem with Gnome
in gentoo.

Right now I am at a complete re-emerge (yes, with portage-tmpdir in RAM)
to get everything performing well.

Ordered plus 8 GB of DDR-RAM just in case ;-)

I am still on stable amd64 right now as I would like to have that box
rather maintenance-free (or at least "low maintenance").

Would using gcc-5.x make a noticeable difference?

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

On 12/30/2015 08:00 PM, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:

> Would using gcc-5.x make a noticeable difference?

Well, while you all are preparing to reply ...

;-)

... I simply went for it.

unmasked gcc-5.3.0, compiled it, and then recompiled @system and the
kernel ("make localmodconfig" to be curious) with it.

Booted it, snappy, fine!

right now gcc rebuilds itself, some more packages to re-emerge, load at
around 7.5, system usable, audio stream without a hickup.

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

On 12/30/2015 11:16 PM, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:

> right now gcc rebuilds itself, some more packages to re-emerge, load at
> around 7.5, system usable, audio stream without a hickup.

# genlop -t thunderbird

 * mail-client/thunderbird
   Mon Jan  4 22:55:49 2016 >>> mail-client/thunderbird-38.5.0
   merge time: 10 minutes and 36 seconds.

with gcc-5.3.0 and USE="jit"

acceptable?

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Mick]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: Text/Plain, Size: 569 bytes --]

On Wednesday 09 Dec 2015 20:39:30 Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
> Ordered today. Looking forward ..
> It will be triple-boot: gentoo, fedora, win10 (as I paid for it)

If you bought it in EU you can ask for the cost of Win10 back.  There was an 
case brought in France (against Dell I think) and it was judged that the OEM 
cannot force the buyer to pay for an OS which they do not wish to buy/use.

If you decide to use Win10, you may want to switch off all the malware which 
now comes as part of the OS:

https://fix10.isleaked.com/

-- 
Regards,
Mick

[-- Attachment #2: This is a digitally signed message part. --]
[-- Type: application/pgp-signature, Size: 473 bytes --]

Re: [gentoo-user] OT: i7-6700, anyone already?

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512

Am 09.12.2015 um 23:44 schrieb Mick:
> On Wednesday 09 Dec 2015 20:39:30 Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
>> Ordered today. Looking forward .. It will be triple-boot: gentoo,
>> fedora, win10 (as I paid for it)
> 
> If you bought it in EU you can ask for the cost of Win10 back.
> There was an case brought in France (against Dell I think) and it
> was judged that the OEM cannot force the buyer to pay for an OS
> which they do not wish to buy/use.

interesting, thanks. I don't really need windows, only for some
specific tools (Suunto sports watch ... it doesn't dump its data
elsewhere).

> If you decide to use Win10, you may want to switch off all the
> malware which now comes as part of the OS:
> 
> https://fix10.isleaked.com/

Will have a look.

I consider moving my existing SSD into the new machine. No more
fiddling with all the partitioning and EFI stuff.