Linux May Need a Rewrite Beyond 48 Cores 462
An anonymous reader writes "There is interesting new research coming out of MIT which suggests current operating systems are struggling with the addition of more cores to the CPU. It appears that the problem, which affects the available memory in a chip when multiple cores are working on the same chunks of data, is getting worse and may be hitting a peak somewhere in the neighborhood of 48 cores, when entirely new operating systems will be needed, the report says. Luckily, we aren't anywhere near 48 cores and there is some time left to come up with a new Linux (Windows?)."
Error in their math (Score:5, Funny)
They have an one-off error in their math, it's actually 9 times a 6 core CPU. So, at 42 cores a rewrite is needed.
Enough (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Original Source and Actual Paper (Score:5, Funny)
What does "(Windows?)" even mean?
I read that as saying "Windows is the new Linux!". Clearly the submitter is trying to incite violence in the Slashdot community.
48 cores? (Score:4, Funny)
I'm still waiting for Windows to work well on ONE.
Re:What are they talking about (Score:1, Funny)
... from the original MIT article it sounds like there is lock contention on shared memory reference counts. ... but I'm making that up.
Re:Enough (Score:1, Funny)
Obligatory xkcd [xkcd.com]
Who uses that (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Error in their math (Score:1, Funny)
Dude, nobody makes jokes in base 13!
Re:Original Source and Actual Paper (Score:3, Funny)
that's crazy (Score:3, Funny)
Nobody's every going to need more than 640 cores
Re:Original Source and Actual Paper (Score:3, Funny)
Fuck, dude, we hurd you the first time. and "GNU Plus Linux" is terrible marketing.
Re:48 cores? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Original Source and Actual Paper (Score:3, Funny)
it's to give the reader enough information to decide whether reading the full article is worth it.
We are supposed to read the articles? Why didn't anyone tell me about this before?!!
Re:Enough (Score:3, Funny)
lol i dont see why people cant be happy with a quad it gets the job done if you need more than 4 cores you should just shoot yourself
I'll hand out guns to the scientists then. Maybe they'll be willing to donate their punctuation to you as well.
Re:Original Source and Actual Paper (Score:4, Funny)
Wait, Macs don't suck?
Slashdot (Score:4, Funny)
...there is some time left to come up with a new Linux (Windows?).
Windows, the new Linux.
You read it here first...
Linux now works for 4096 cores! (Score:5, Funny)
(But a non-proprietary NVIDIA driver will still not play your Flash movies smoothly. [xkcd.com] :P)
So what the fuck is he doing here then? (Score:5, Funny)
Lets drive the greenhorn OUT! No filthy high UID's with their spelling and gramar and solid well researched non-sensationlist writing. I want my editors to rape the language (bonus points if it is several languages at once) and sent my heart racing by raising my bile and fear of the unknown and known.
Headlines sell adverts. Truth, accuracy, honesty do not. Accept it, you are reading slashdot, it works.
Re:Original Source and Actual Paper (Score:3, Funny)
You're Welcome! (Score:3, Funny)
However, posting your own post [slashdot.org] in your own post is a bit excessive, and there could have been better ways to do this than just repost your entire freakin story as the first comment.
Yo dawg, I heard you liked my post so I put a post inside my post so you could enjoy it while you're enjoying my post!
Re:Original Source and Actual Paper (Score:3, Funny)
SGI runs Single System Image Linux systems with over 1000 cores, that's not the problem.
640 cores should be enough for anyone.
Re:Obligatory xkcd reference (Score:3, Funny)
If you have 4,096 CPUs I don't think that "smooth flash playback" is a problem.
4,095 CPUs however...
Re:Original Source and Actual Paper (Score:3, Funny)
Nah, jokes like "64xx should be enough for anybody" actually suck the humor out of the reader due to old age. The GP is probably an inmate in the Home for the Terminally Bland.
Re:Original Source and Actual Paper (Score:3, Funny)
Which is exactly why he _cant_ be a /. editor.