Introduction

First testing version of kernel with automatic boot prefetching and tracing is available.

This version is precompiled for Debian-based systems (tested on Ubuntu Gutsy, other distributions might not work). The kernel is standard Ubuntu kernel with these prefetch patches.

Standard disclaimer applies: this is experimental version, it might damage your system use at your own risk and only on systems where you have backups.

Installation using PPA

Currently the kernel available in PPA is Gutsy kernel. But it should work on other releases (e.g. Hardy).

Note: this instructions have not been tested by me as I do not have Gutsy/Hardy installation by hand, so please report any problems with them at https://answers.launchpad.net/prefetch/

To install it:

• Add deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/prefetch/ubuntu gutsy main to /etc/apt/sources.list
• Run sudo apt-get update
• Run sudo apt-get install prefetch linux-image-2.6.22-8-generic

Installation (manual)

In order to use kernel with prefetching:

• Download kernel linux-image deb
• Install linux-image deb package
• Remove readahead package using: sudo apt-get remove --purge readahead - please note that this will cause removing (x/k/edu)ubuntu-desktop package.
• Download userspace prefetch support deb and install it using: dpkg -i prefetch*.deb

Now reboot and select "kernel 2.6.22.1-9pf.3" during boot.

Uninstallation

In order to remove kernel with prefetching:

1. Reboot into standard (non-prefetching) kernel.
2. Remove prefetch userspace support files using apt-get remove --purge prefetch
3. Install readahead and (x/k/edu)ubuntu-desktop package.
4. Remove linux-image package with prefetching support (with "pf" in name).