[Asterisk-Users] Which g729 codec to download for a P4?

[kaze0010 at umn.edu]

On Mar 23 2006, Steve Gladden wrote:

>Sorry for being a bit of a newbie here but I find the
>docs or README for downloading the G.729 codec from Digium
>are not as detailed as I would like or just don't really
>break down the different versions to a point that I am clear
>on which one to grab.
>
>The choices for 32bit are:
>
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 athlon-xp
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 c3
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 c3-2
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 i386
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 i586
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 i686
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 k6-3
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 pentium-m
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 pentium3m
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 pentium4m
>drwxr-xr-x    3 0        0            4096 Dec 05 00:21 prescott
>
>
>I'm unclear if "athlon-xp" is only for athlon xp or all athlons/durons
>if not what is best for athlons & durons?
>I will need to install g.729 on a duron server soon.
>
>
>But immediately I need to install g.729 on our P4 server
>and I'm a little confused on 'which p4' I need to install.
>
>What is the 'm' for in pentium4m?
>seems to mean 'multi' processor but I am totally unclear on this.
>what the heck is just a 'pentium-m'?

The 'm' in x86 architecture CPUs usually refers to a 'mobile' optimized 
version of the CPU. That usually means it consumes less power and may have 
the ability to switch CPU speeds while in use (e.g. Intel's SpeedStep 
technology). The Pentium-M is the CPU that is part of the Intel Centrino 
chipset (CPU+wireless+north/southbridge package), and it's the direct 
decendent of the Pentium-3.

Chosing a cpu-specific version of the codec simply means you will be using 
one that is was compilied targeting that cpu, and it may use cpu 
instructions only available on that cpu or its decendents. You can always 
choose a version from a architecture-lineage precedessor, and for any x86 
cpu available today, that means the i386. The tradeoff for a more generally 
compatible version is a potentially lower performing codec, but this should 
not be a problem unless you are pushing your system to the limits.

If I remember by CPU history for the Pentium 4 correctly, you should be 
safe with any of the i386/i586/i686/pentium3m/pentium4m options.

There is a good chart here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_microprocessors
and more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_architecture

>Thanks for your help.
>
>I apologize for the rediculousness of this question, but was hoping to find
>a chart on which preocessor is what in the README.
>
>I have a pentium4 server but do not understand how to quickly tell if I
>have a pentium4m a prescott or an i686
>
>I 'think' it's a wiliamette just by clock speed and wild guessing from
>memory about the time the variouss cores came out but that's it!
>
>Here's what the kernel says:
>
> cat cpuinfo
>processor       : 0
>vendor_id       : GenuineIntel
>cpu family      : 15
>model           : 2
>model name      : Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
>stepping        : 7
>cpu MHz         : 2392.146
>cache size      : 512 KB
>fdiv_bug        : no
>hlt_bug         : no
>f00f_bug        : no
>coma_bug        : no
>fpu             : yes
>fpu_exception   : yes
>cpuid level     : 2
>wp              : yes
>flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca
>cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe cid
>bogomips        : 4734.97
>
>
>
>Thanks & take care!
>
>Steve
>
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