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Beowulf FAQ

Beowulf mailing list FAQ, version 2 - Notes This FAQ is intended to forestall the repetitive questions on the Beowulf mailing list. Corrections welcomed. All wrongs reversed. Dates of the form [1999-05-13] indicate the date an entry was last edited, not the date what it describes was last updated. [1999-05-13] - Table of contents: Notes Table of contents Acknowledgements Short answers (this section takes five minutes to read; please read it before posting!) 1. What's a Beowulf? 2. Where can I get the Beowulf software? 3. Can I take my software and run it on a Beowulf and have it go faster? 4. PVM? MPI? Huh? 5. Is there a compiler that will automatically parallelize my code for a a Beowulf, like SGI's compilers? 6. Why do people use Beowulfs? 7. Does anyone have a database that will run faster on a Beowulf than on a single-node machine? 8. Do people use keyboard-video-mouse switches? 9. Who should I listen to and who's a bozo? 10. Does anyone have a Linux compiler that recognizes bits of code that could be optimized with KNI, 3DNow!, and MMX instructions? 11. Should I build a cluster of these 100 386s? 12. Do I need to run Red Hat? 13. I'm using the Extreme Linux CD . . . 14. Does Beowulf need glibc? 15. What compilers are there? 16. What's the most important: CPU speed, memory speed, memory size, . . . what CPU should I use? . . . 17. Can I make a Beowulf out of different kinds of machines -- 18. Where to go for more information? 19. Is there a step by step guide to build a Beowulf? Is there a HOWTO? Long answers Supplementary information and resources - Acknowledgements Robert G. Brown, Greg Lindahl, Forrest Hoffman, and Putchong Uthayopas contributed valuable information to this FAQ. Kragen Sitaker

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