SMP Upgrade of Existing WSeB box

Hello World !

I have a very(!) extensive WSeB system that I spend years putting together.
I really wouldn't want to have to start building a new one from scratch, 
so I wonder if I could upgrade to SMP by "simply" exchanging some
kernel 
files and if yes, where to find a list of such files.

Also, I do understand that OS/2 supports Dual Core CPUs via SMP.
Does that also work on Intel Duo-Core systems and how much of that support 
is chip set dependant?
What drivers (if any) will likely no longer work and are there any 
applications known to falter on SMP?

Finally, I did purchase eCS 2.x at Warpstock Dreden (albeit I never go the 
installation CD sent to me).
Yet I can not find the link for "os2apic" in the download area.

Any help appreciated.

On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 22:35:04 UTC, nospam@4me.com (I.B.) wrote:

-> Hello World !
-> 
-> I have a very(!) extensive WSeB system that I spend years putting
together.
-> I really wouldn't want to have to start building a new one from scratch, 
-> so I wonder if I could upgrade to SMP by "simply" exchanging
some kernel 
-> files and if yes, where to find a list of such files.

If you have WSeB then you have access to the SMP files.  Just run the 
system installer and select to install SMP support.

-> 
-> Also, I do understand that OS/2 supports Dual Core CPUs via SMP.
-> Does that also work on Intel Duo-Core systems and how much of that support

-> is chip set dependant?

Sorry no experience with any dual core CPUs.

-> What drivers (if any) will likely no longer work and are there any 
-> applications known to falter on SMP?

Only one I am aware of is the original peer code.  There is a special 
fix for eCS users to run peer with SMP. If you are running WSeB LAN 
Server does not have the problem.  If you run into an app that causes 
a problem under SMP you can mark it to use a single processor using 
the execmode.exe utility.

-> 
-> Finally, I did purchase eCS 2.x at Warpstock Dreden (albeit I never go the

-> installation CD sent to me).
-> Yet I can not find the link for "os2apic" in the download area.

If you purchased the SMP option then you can use Chuck McKinnis' eCSMT
utility to download and apply the latest SMP files.

Mark

-- 
From the eComStation of Mark Dodel

 http://www.os2voice.org
 Warpstock 2006, Windsor, Ontario, Canada,  Oct 12-15, 2006 - 

On 04/14/06 09:10 am I.B. wrote:

>> If you purchased the SMP option then you can use Chuck McKinnis'
>> eCSMT utility to download and apply the latest SMP files.
> 
> I purchased eCS 1+2.x "just" for access to the drivers area (and
no-one 
> at WSE told me anything about a separate SMP option!).
> I don't want to loose my highly complex WSeB install (I guess I 
> customized my box right out the window ;-) by doing a complete eCS
install.
> So I do not have eCSMT on my system and I'm not sure if it would even 
> run on a native WSeB box.
> 
> 
>> If you have WSeB then you have access to the SMP files.
>> Just run the system installer and select to install SMP support.
> 
> Will that only replace kernel files on an already existing WSeB system 
> or re-install the entire operating system from scratch?
> 
> 
> I'm about to dedicate $3k to the purchase of a T60 and would hope 
> someone can tell me if WSeB SMP runs on Dual-Core CPUs...
It's been reported that eCS SMP works on an AMD dual-core system with 
Asus A8V-series motherboard, but I've read of problems with A8N-series 
boards and with some Intel systems.

-=-

Hi Mark,

Thankz for responding.

>If you purchased the SMP option then you can use Chuck McKinnis'
>eCSMT utility to download and apply the latest SMP files.

I purchased eCS 1+2.x "just" for access to the drivers area (and
no-one at 
WSE told me anything about a separate SMP option!).
I don't want to loose my highly complex WSeB install (I guess I customized 
my box right out the window ;-) by doing a complete eCS install.
So I do not have eCSMT on my system and I'm not sure if it would even run 
on a native WSeB box.


>If you have WSeB then you have access to the SMP files.
>Just run the system installer and select to install SMP support.

Will that only replace kernel files on an already existing WSeB system or 
re-install the entire operating system from scratch?


I'm about to dedicate $3k to the purchase of a T60 and would hope someone 
can tell me if WSeB SMP runs on Dual-Core CPUs...

On Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:10:09 UTC, t@u.com (I.B.) wrote:

-> Hi Mark,
-> 
-> Thankz for responding.
-> 
-> >If you purchased the SMP option then you can use Chuck McKinnis'
-> >eCSMT utility to download and apply the latest SMP files.
-> 
-> I purchased eCS 1+2.x "just" for access to the drivers area (and
no-one at 
-> WSE told me anything about a separate SMP option!).

Yes, eCS has had an SMP option since version 1.0.  Its not cheap (I 
think I paid $120US at the time) but once you buy it you don't ever 
have to pay again if you upgrade the base OS.  Its still way cheaper 
then WSeB (or WSA with the SMP option if you could find it) which was 
the only other option to legally run OS/2 SMP.  However if you have a 
valid WSeB license you have legal access to the SMP files, so you 
should ask Mensys about access to the updated versions.

-> I don't want to loose my highly complex WSeB install (I guess I customized

-> my box right out the window ;-) by doing a complete eCS install.
-> So I do not have eCSMT on my system and I'm not sure if it would even run

-> on a native WSeB box.
-> 
-> 
-> >If you have WSeB then you have access to the SMP files.
-> >Just run the system installer and select to install SMP support.
-> 
-> Will that only replace kernel files on an already existing WSeB system or

-> re-install the entire operating system from scratch?

My WSeB dual Pentium Pro system died a week ago so I can't check, but 
from what I remember it just switches out the required files (os2krnl,
doscall1.dll and a few others) and adds the PSD=os2apic.psd line to 
the config.sys.  You'd want to make sure you have the latest SMP 
kernel if its fairly current hardware before you reboot.  You can 
reverse it by unchecking the SMP option, assuming the system boots to 
the WPS. 

-> 
-> 
-> I'm about to dedicate $3k to the purchase of a T60 and would hope someone

-> can tell me if WSeB SMP runs on Dual-Core CPUs...

When you do, please report back here or better yet write an article 
for VOICE on your success.  


Mark 


-- 
From the eComStation of Mark Dodel

 http://www.os2voice.org
 Warpstock 2006, Windsor, Ontario, Canada,  Oct 12-15, 2006 -