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Warning: This tutorial will not work with all systems!
Notice: This tutorial requires a Click-n-Run Warehouse subscription!

Introduction

SMP ("Symmetric Multi-Processing") is a way to categorize several different processor types that can execute multiple instructions in parallel (at the same time). When an SMP processor runs on an operating system that does not support SMP, much of the performance gain of SMP functionality is lost. In other words, your processor will have much untapped power running in a non-SMP mode, if it is SMP-capable.

This article applies only if your computer has one of the following:

• One processor with multiple cores (known as "Dual Core" or "Quad Core", etc.)
• An Intel processor with HT (Hyperthreading) technology
  
• Multiple, separate processors in your system.

If you aren't sure whether your computer has one of these, contact your manufacturer.

Linspire's support for SMP is pretty solid. In the current Linspire release and future releases, they provide a CnR package for you to install that enables SMP. All kernel modules are available for both SMP and non-SMP.

Installation

To install SMP support, only one package is required from CnR. The name of this package depends upon the version of your Operating System's kernel. To find this version:

• Go to Launch -> Programs -> Utilities -> click "Konsole".
• Type in the command prompt all of the bolded text, case-sensitive: uname -a
• In the output of this command, look for a number like 2.6.10 or 2.6.14 directly after the words "Linux" and the name you gave your computer when you installed Linspire. If you are accessing this tutorial long after the date I posted it, your kernel revision may be substantially higher. In any case, write this number down.

Now, go into the CNR application and do a search for the los-kernel-suite-2.6.10-smp package, where you replace 2.6.10 with your kernel revision. Install this package.

Optional: If you have compiled anything from source code during your Linspire experience, you can recompile it for your new kernel only if you have its source code, too. The source code, headers, and configuration for your new SMP kernel should be in the package los-kernel-default-config-2.6.14-smp where you replace 2.6.14 with your kernel revision. 

Reboot your computer, and in the menu that lets you select Linspire or another operating system (the GRUB menu), you should now be able to select to boot Linspire with an -smp tacked on the end. 

Troubleshooting - If GRUB Does Not Show Your New Kernel

If you rebooted but the SMP option isn't in your GRUB boot list:

1. Open the file /boot/grub/menu.lst in your favorite text editor.
2. Copy the four or five lines (separated by returns) that describe how to boot Linspire with the regular kernel.
3. Paste these lines directly above the description of the regular kernel.
4. In the SMP copy, replace all occurrences of the kernel revision (for example, 2.6.10) with 2.6.10-smp.
5. Give the boot entry a name that helps you distinguish it from the regular Linspire kernel.
   
6. Save the file and reboot.
   

 Good luck! If you have questions on this tutorial, my username in the forums is Sean.McNamara.