New Motherboard, should I reinstall?

[duncanbojangles]

Hey everyone, I guess it's time for me to upgtade my processor and motherboard. My current setup sucks, my processor is an AMD K-6 running at 450 MhZ. Usually graphical programs run slowly, so I guess I'll get a graphics card, too, since I'm using the pathetic onboard one now. When I get these new devices in, will I have to reinstall Linux? I'm using Slackware 9.0, and I have a bunch of stuff that took me a while to get right, so I hope I don't have to reinstall. Also, can anyone recommend a good setup, with processor, motherboard, and a graphics card for about $200 total? Thanks!

[ph34r]

You should have no problems. I moved a harddrive with a full install of Slackware 8.1 (upgraded to 9.0 then 9.1) from the original machine to 4 different machines wiht no problems, other than kernel modules needed for network cards, etc.

[rdeschene2]

Well, IF you have different computers with similar CPU architectures and IF you are running a modularized kernel (which, unless you've done an oddball custom recompile on your own, you probably are) THEN you can swap a hard drive between computers and it will just boot up.

HOWEVER, given that you're starting with an AMD K6 and going to (presumably) another architecture -- it would almost be hard not to these days -- you'll probably need to use a different kernel. But you can try it and see.

Here's a quote from the Linux Kernel HOW TO:

"Select proper CPU type - Pentium 3, AMD K6, Cyrix, Pentium 4, Intel 386, DEC Alpha, PowerPC otherwise kernel will not boot!!"

There's likely no need to compile a kernel, as the installation CD's probably had several kernels available - for the different CPU architectures.

Good luck!
Rick D.

[bwkaz]

Originally posted by rdeschene2
Here's a quote from the Linux Kernel HOW TO:

"Select proper CPU type - Pentium 3, AMD K6, Cyrix, Pentium 4, Intel 386, DEC Alpha, PowerPC otherwise kernel will not boot!!" Not entirely true. If you choose PowerPC and you try to boot the resulting kernel on any x86, it won't boot, true. But if you choose 586 (Pentium) and try to boot that on anything newer than a Pentium (i.e., on your current K6, on any Athlon newer than that, or on a PPro, P2, P3, or P4), it'll work just fine. If you choose PPro, it should work on a PPro, K6-2, or anything newer than that as well.

There's likely no need to compile a kernel, as the installation CD's probably had several kernels available - for the different CPU architectures. Probably not, actually. They probably have one kernel compiled for either 586 or 686, or they recommend that you compile your own like Slackware does. I don't know what Slack's bare.i (or whatever else you used) was compiled for, though. Possibly 386...

[duncanbojangles]

I'm not sure which kernel I'm using, I kinda let Slackware do whatever it thought best at the install. I do know that the cpu I have right now is a 586. So if I got a newer AMD or Pentium 3, I should be okay?

[Hypz]

uname -r

^to get kernel version

[rdeschene2]

duncan,

With the feedback you've had, I would say "go for it just with a harddrive swap!" If it goes smoothly - peachy! If not, we'll still be here to give you a hand as best we can.

With regards to hardware selection, I haven't bought any major hardware in a fair while now. I have always had good experience with ASUS and ACER motherboards, and my current video card is an nVidia geforce4 and their module gives good 3D acceleration. I haven't been happy with the DVD playback though - it seems a bit choppy to me. DIVX files are pretty smooth though.

Good luck!
Rick D.

[rocketpcguy]

Usually graphical programs run slowly, so I guess I'll get a graphics card, too, since I'm using the pathetic onboard one now.

i have another pc with about 350mhz and 128mb ram and unknown gfx card on s3 chipset. it works fine with linux, fast too. it was slow and less respnsive. i only had to re-compile kernel and dump kde and gome for icewm and a desktop icon program, and cut services. switch programs for lighter stuffs.
graphical programs slow? are you talking about games? if no, changing graphic cards will not help.

but it's fine to switch computers. but changing the processor might not have big effect in loading time some time, you'll need a faster RPM harddrive (7200+) or if don't want, make sure your current hd is hdparmed.

[Satanic Atheist]

I've swapped out a MoBo in Windows and suffered a slow and painful death of my machine after all the hardware spontaneously uninstalled itself (and I mean EVERYTHING, even the floppy drive and monitor wouldn't work right) and then a botched reinstall. Trying to install all the Windows drivers simultaneously (as it was wont to do) is not good for a stable machine.

Hell, Windows isn't good for a stable machine in the first place. What the hell was I thinking?

I did the same under Linux about a month ago and was stunned that it booted second time (first was a badly seated RAM chip) with no problems whatsoever.

As was mentioned above, I know the bare.i kernel is built for at least the Pentium class chip (tested) although it may possibly be against the 486 or 386 architecture (wouldn't suprise me, but I don't own a 386 chip and my only 486's are non-working).

You may have a problem if you change from a PIII (maybe) or P4 to a Duron or Athlon with regards to software and the kernel, but easy way out is reinstall the software over the top of itself and boot the Slackware CD2 (rescue CD & a few packges) with the switch: bare.i root=/dev/hda1 noinitrd vga=773 to boot the kernel off the CD with a chroot to your own drive. Then you can recompile a kernel normally, or just use your system until you feel like redoing it (Slackers, each-and-every one of us!).

Only problem there, of course, is that patches and statically compiled stuff aren't available (Supermount & encryption systems for me). Oh well. I'd just have to mount my own CDs.

James

[bwkaz]

Originally posted by duncanbojangles
I do know that the cpu I have right now is a 586. So if I got a newer AMD or Pentium 3, I should be okay? Ought to be OK, yeah. What does cat /proc/cpuinfo say on the "cpu family" line? If it says 5, then you won't have any problems (because all newer Athlons and all P3s are family-6, which is backward compatible, and P4s are family-7, which is still backward compatible).

If it says 6, then the only pitfall would be if your current processor supports MMX (or some family of instructions like that; possibilities would be MMX, SSE, SSE2, or 3DNow), but your new one doesn't. I doubt that'd happen though -- it usually happens with SSE2 going from a P4 to an Athlon XP (the P4s have SSE2, the XPs don't).