My question is about cpu cycles.

I love LFS and would like to have the purest experience.

What I want is your opinion, as an expert (maybe in disguise): is it possible to run a clean système, one where all the cycles stay dedicated to LFS, while being in contact with the LFS tcp/ip world?

I have a virgin box.
Next steps are hazy.

Uhm...huh?
Do you mean running LFS on high priority or something? Or do you want to shutdown as many system services as possible? Obviously you can't let LFS use all cpu cycles, because there's an operating system you need to run LFS that needs CPU cycles too.

I think that he want to run lfs as a neogeo rom on an arcade bar machine.

If you mean it, imho no, lfs use D3d calls and not directly hardware calls, so need always of an "intermediary" base.

However i have read that some people use it on linux.
You could try build your own linux distribution with only the strictly necessary for running it and set lfs on autorunning at each pc start.

Yep, I agree with this...

Only thing you can do is disabling all services in msconfig, terminatle all unnecessary background tasks and set LFS to realtime priority in taskmanager.

About that linux LFS-only distribution: Linux also uses CPU cycles as same as Windows do, but in linux is everything complicated because of WineX or Cedega. These "directx emulators" rewrites all dx commands that game calls to linux-like commands that are executable under linux.(DirectSound > ALSA, D3D > OpenGL and so on). Point of it is that it is also CPU intensive, so LFS will always run slower under linux until it is rewroten especially for linux...

he wants to have a pc just for lfs, and it sounds as if he doesnt want an OS, just LFS!

Thanks for your answers! You are all very helpful, even guessing a bit since I wasn't clear enough.

I have to say, the suggestion by MadCatX "Only thing you can do is disabling all services in msconfig, terminatle all unnecessary background tasks and set LFS to realtime priority in taskmanager." is something I tried, but setting to realtime downgraded performance. Effectively, the OS needs cpu cycles to serve LFS.

I had never thought of having a computer just running LFS and nothing else ever. I wish I had enough money!!! Linux would definitely be the solution in that case.

To be more clear: what I want is all the cycles reserved for LFS *except* the OS can act, if it is to serve LFS.

I don't want this always, just when LFS.exe is active.

What I *don't* want:

-BITS
-cdrom autocheck polling
-random OS calls not related to LFS
-"other" threads executing on my cpu
-basically anything that the OS does that is not in my control that takes up CPU cycles.

So, I am installing linux.


"About that linux LFS-only distribution: Linux also uses CPU cycles as same as Windows do, but in linux is everything complicated because of WineX or Cedega."

but in Windows, everything is complicated because you don't actually have final control over your machine. I dare anyone to try, shut down as many applications and services as you like, then run filemon and regmon and tell me you have absolutely no "noise" coming from your OS

I will take the (measurable, static) slowdown from cedega over .. well just what exactly is happening on my machine anyway?

Well, good luck
Yes, Windows will always be active on several parts, but I have disabled a very big part of the system services, and it does save quite a bit. Not necessarily with games though. Also, I customized my XP install CD with nLite (www.nliteos.com), so a lot of stuff has been removed before installing it.
I wonder if it's worth all your trouble though. I wouldn't expect too much of an fps increase.

Quote from Execution Style :

I will take the (measurable, static) slowdown from cedega over .. well just what exactly is happening on my machine anyway?

Under Windows there are running "service hosts"(svchost.exe) that are processing windows services(Sound, PnP, nVidina drivers aslo uses one service)

Csrss.exe - this process manages grapihal commands of windows. Linux has X-server intstead of it
Smss.exe - takes control of sessions under WinXP. I bet that linux also has something like this in the core.
Services.exe - manages starting and stopping services
Winlogon.exe - controls login and logout
Wdfmgr.exe- part of WMP 10 and above. AFAIK it is meant do decrease the compatibility problems
(for some more info visit http://www.liutilities.com/pro ... ntaskspro/processlibrary/)

So, you see that there is not too much rubbish, linux would have to run similar processes to ensure system stability and serviceability.
I would expect that you will lose more then gain with changing on linux for LFSing. Cedega emulation IS NOT fast, MUCH slower than that what you get under Windows.
As I said before - rewriting ALL DX commands to linux-compatible format takes a lot of CPU cycles, more than all the windows "rubbish".

The chioce is yours, but If I were you, I would be under windows.

So far so good. Wireless LAN up and running, new pc suits me nicely.

I plugged in a wacom tablet and it worked within 1 second, so I was a bit impressed. I downloaded an update to have all the nice pressure sensitivity stuff.

My 7600GT doesn't come with the drivers I need on the cd. The game bundled with it doesn't specify that it requires Windows. I'm off to install the 8762 drivers and test 3d graphics. Cedega will be later, after visiting with family

I will let you know how it goes.

HEhe, Im looking forward to your test, Im also curious how LFS runs under Cedega. BTW, what Linux distribution you have installed?

sorry for the delay! I had to scroll down a bit to find this post to put in the update.

after two weeks of visiting family I finally had a few hours to work at my installation again.

lfs.exe now runs correctly and smooth with all details at maximum, 1024x768x32. yes i know, crappy crt

I have yet to work at ff joystick support. however, I plugged in wacom tablet and logitech wingman gamepad and both those installed without any action on my part. not even a beep from the computer I was debugging the gamepad without realising it was already working hrhr.

I am using ubuntu dapper. their site and forums are excellent. clear and forthcoming info there even in my native French. I installed the 32 bit version for now for best support of my graphics hardware and gaming needs.

I was surprised how little effort it took. about the same time as getting tuxracer working on red hat 8 a few years ago. nvidia support is very solid and easy, much reading at transgaming.com and google took care of translating the graphics API for my hardware acceleration and I was able to do all the steps with the synaptic GUI package tool.

what can I say? I paid for my LFS license, and I paid for new hardware and spent about 4 hours reading and trying things on the OS and so far everything works.

next update after I see about supporting my DFP and maybe even my ff joystick for ffshifter

minor update. I plugged in my microsoft sidewinder ff joystick and it worked right away. Force feedback isn't working, but neither are the higher numbered buttons so I guess I go a default joystick profile set up for me.

Before, under windows, there was a longish installation process that required hard to find software (if you were like me and lost the CD that came with the thing :shy

tonight I'll find out if I can get FF working

Turns out the "next step" was to plug in my DFP. No installation steps were necessary for it to work in LFS.

Not that I'm saying it's perfect as-is. It still needs calibration and tweaking. Also I played with my wheel in 180 degree mode because I didn't know (until later) that I could press a 3 key combo on the wheel to unlock full rotation Have to try that out soon!

Force feedback is weird. At first I thought it didn't work at all, but it's more like there are return to center forces mixed with what the game is sending, basically dulling out LFS's forces. I will try installing the wingman stuff from my old computer, and if that doesn't work I'll see about custom config / coding.

My cycles are now my own!!