// Geeky IT Advice
// File #1
// Date: 2004-05-01
// By: junktext (William Paul Liggett)
// Questions?  E-mail: junktext AT junktext.org

/*************************************************************
   Fedora Core 1 (Yarrow) Uses Only Half of the Processor?
   Or so it seems...
*************************************************************/

   I have been running Fedora Core 1 (Yarrow) [linux version 2.4.22-1.2115], and
I have noticed that the graphical system monitor (running as an applet on the 
Panel) would never report ever using more than half (50%) of my [single]
processor.  No matter what I would do on the system, such as compiling programs,
running multiple instances of Mozilla, encoding .mp3's using bladeenc, AND ripping
songs off a CD using grip (all at once), I would never peak beyond the 50% CPU
usage mark.  Wow, I either have a really powerful processor or there is something
wrong with these numbers.

   I asked around many IRC channels (like #linux) on different networks, but nobody
had any answers.  Some claimed this was normal, but I still pressed onward to figure
out what the real deal is.  Worse, I couldn't find any help off of the Fedora
website (http://fedora.redhat.com/) either.  But, then I stumbled upon the answer!
After looking at how my initially started up, I discovered that GRUB, the Linux
bootstrap loader (which replace LILO a while back) had two options that I could
choose.  The first (and default) boot option was was "Fedora Core
(2.4.22-1.2115.nptlsmp)" and the second option was "Fedora Core-up
(2.4.22-1.2115.nptl)".

   If you notice they are the same version of Fedora Core, but the first (and
default) option adds "smp" to the kernel description.  After doing some digging
I found that "smp" stands for Symmetric Multi-Proccessing, which in turn means that
you use dual (or more) processors.  So, I tried switching to using the second option
and it worked!  Finally, no more incorrect processor usage reports.

   If you are like the average consumer today, you likely do not have more than one
CPU powering your computer.  So, here is a quick fix that you can use to switch the
default GRUB boot-up behavior.  As root, edit the "/etc/grub.conf" file (using VI or
whatever text-editor you like) and add hash marks (#) before the SMP option listed,
like so:

#title Fedora Core (2.4.22-1.2115.nptlsmp)
#       root (hd0,0)
#       kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2115.nptlsmp ro root=LABEL=/ hdc=ide-scsi rhgb
#       initrd /initrd-2.4.22-1.2115.nptlsmp.img

   The hash marks make it so GRUB doesn't even pay attention to those lines, meaning
any line with a "#" symbol before it considered to be a 'comment' (as a way to write
yourself/others a note for future reference or to simply make certain code/settings
to be ignored by the program executing the file).  Note: You should have a similar set
of lines in your grub.conf file that does not have hash marks commenting out a valid
boot option or, well, you won't have any system that actually boots up!

   That's it!  Just save the /etc/grub.conf file, reboot, and the changes should
occur automatically.



// Extra random details are below.

   Also, in case you were wondering what the "-up" means in my posting of the "Fedora
Core-up", this means that it is meant for a Uni-Processor (a single CPU).

   One more thing, if you don't care to look at the GRUB loader when it boots up (which
means you have no other operating system, like MS Windows, or other boot-up options),
just change the 'timeout' option to 0 (zero), so that "timeout=0".  Again, save the
file and reboot.  Now it will look like you have bypassed GRUB altogether, even though
it only ran for a few microseconds before loading Fedora.