On Fri, 13 Feb 2004, Ken Fuchs wrote:

> 
> Most DEB and RPM files are compiled for the oldest, usually slowest,
> architecture of an architecture family.  For the x86 family, the code in
> DEB and RPM files may be 386 code which is optimal only for a 80386
> CPU.  Gentoo compiles code that is optimal for the CPU it is being
> installed on.  Thus compiling all code during an install as Gentoo does
> can result in a huge performance advantage.

not quite, they usually compiled with -mcpu and not with -march
-march breaks backwards compatability with older CPUs. While -mcpu keeps 
compatability at the expense of some optimazations iirc.

The other thing that may make a difference is the CHOST setting, PPro and 
better use "i686-pc-linux-gnu" even athlon.

Pentium Classics, K6s, MIIs and the like use "i586-pc-linux-gnu"

i am not 100% certain _what_ the difference is. But "i686-..." will not 
work on "i586-..." so i am guessing it is some sort of optimization.

-- 
Munir Nassar
Systems Administrator
RedConcepts.NET

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