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Con Kolivas Returns, With a Desktop-Oriented Linux Scheduler

Posted by timothy on from the dare-not-speak-its-name dept.

myvirtualid writes "Con Kolivas has done what he swore never to do: returned to the Linux kernel and written a new — and, according to him — waaay better scheduler for the desktop environment. In fact, BFS appears to outperform existing schedulers right up until one hits a 16-CPU machine, at which point he guesses performance would degrade somewhat. According to Kolivas, BFS 'was designed to be forward looking only, make the most of lower spec machines, and not scale to massive hardware. i.e. [sic] it is a desktop orientated scheduler, with extremely low latencies for excellent interactivity by design rather than 'calculated,' with rigid fairness, nice priority distribution and extreme scalability within normal load levels.'"

9 of 333 comments (clear)

  1. O SNAP! by uwnav · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    oh no he didn't! HE CAME BACK!?!

    He's like the Brett Favre of linux kernel schedulers!

    hmm.. wrong place to use football reference?
    who am I kidding.. I don't watch football

  2. i.e. vs e.g. by Troed · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    "i.e." should be used after a statement to explain it another way

    Remove the [sic]

    http://askville.amazon.com/define-correct-usage/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=5300847

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    it's in my head
    1. Re:i.e. vs e.g. by myvirtualid · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Remove the [sic]

      See my previous comment: Since the immediately preceding token was a period, the previous statement was contained in a completed sentence. Conventionally, this requires that the first character of the next statement be capitalized, hence the need to write either "hardware, i.e." or "hardware. I.e.". Either choice would have removed the need for the sic.

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      I'm here EdgeKeep Inc.
    2. Re:i.e. vs e.g. by quickOnTheUptake · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      sic = 'thus' in the sense of "in this/that way"
      [sic] = "I meant to write it as it appears; it's not a typo."
      Interestingly 'sic' would commonly be used in Latin to answer a question affirmatively (i.e., to say 'yes'), meaning just "in that way" or "[it is] as you said". Thus the form 'si' that is found in Romance languages.

      --
      Mod points: Guaranteed to remove your sense of humor.
      Side effects may include gullibility and temporary retardation
  3. Re:great news by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    For all those about to read this subthread:

    This whole thread is almost completely full of people all asking when Linux will have a feature that it has had for as long as I can remember. Occaisonally the term "pluggable scheduler" is used to mean the ability to choose a scheduler at compile time, which has been in the kernel for as long as I can remember. One or two understand that it means dynamically (run-time) changeable. Alas, those people seem to think that is a good idea and needed "feature." It isn't. If you are running a server that you also use as a desktop, it isn't Linux's problem that you are either on a shoestring budget or a moron.

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    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  4. Re:great news by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    "Hey MORON, take a few seconds and try to think outside of your own use case."

    I've thought of most use cases. Strangely, no amount of thinking of different use cases made any of the grossly incorrect statements made here suddenly true. No matter what case I consider, the damn kernel config tool(s) keep offering me a choice of which scheduler to select even though so many people have said it doesn't for example.

    So to recap, you think facts suddenly change based on which use cases I am considering, and it's me that is the moron? I love it when the mentally challenged call me a moron. ROTFLMAO

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    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  5. Re:great news by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Which part of that statement don't you understand? I'll say it again. If you have plenty of money and want to use a single computer as both a desktop system and a server, then you are a moron. Is that too complicated for your feeble little mind to understand?

    You might want to consider that Linus is on my side, so I suppose you could call him a moron too. In fact, you had the feeble minded audacity to call me one, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if you added that act of stupidity to your resume ;-) (let's face it, you essentially have already done so by proxy)

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    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  6. Re:great news by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    "You DID NOT consider that there are valid use cases for using a single system as both a desktop and a server, although perhaps not at the same time ..."

    That is a phenomenally ridiculous claim. Of course I did, and so has everyone else who is against dynamically reloadable schedulers. If you switch from using it as a server to a desktop you reboot with the appropriate kernel. Your stupidity isn't even the interesting kind. Now off you go little troll ...

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    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  7. Re:great news by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I concede that you are correct and I made a pretty serious mistake. It happens. I'm reminded of the Scott Adams book where he advances the theory that all people are idiots. Not all the time, and in cases like mine very seldom, but it happens to everyone. Oh well. Shit happens.

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun