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Intel SSE support for Linux

This page does not cover SSE2, the double precision stuff for the P-IV chips. News: Kernel 2.4.x has the SSE instructions enabled by default. You no longer need a kernel patch.

This page describes how to use Katmai instructions on your Linux box. You need to have:

  1. A Pentium III
  2. Kernel 2.2.x or better
  3. SSE/MMX Kernel patchs by Molnar Ingo This is a patch for kernels up to 2.3.99. As of kernel 2.4.0 a patch is not necessary.
  4. binutils-2.9.1.0.23.tar.gz of better (for gas with SSE opcodes)
  5. SSE test source
The kernel patch is not necessarily intuitive. It is needed because SSE adds 8 128 bit registers to the processor. These need to be saved and restored upon context switches, which requires a new CPU mode to be set. This mode set is a priveleged command which is executed by the kernel patch at boot time. Kernel 2.4.0 does not require the patch.

Useful SSE resources:

  1. Clives Rough SSE guide
  2. The Intel PIII optimization guide
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Feedback:Doug.Aberdeen AT anu.edu.au