Multitasking?

[lIquIdblue]

wich Linux is best for multitasking?like burning and surfing the internet ? things like that with out errors comming up and my comp freezing?

[ken257]

They all multitask. Can you be more specific in what you are looking to do?

[rugby]

multi-tasking is much improved with a dual cpu system also.

[Init-0]

Youll only get true multitasking with dual/multiple processors :P
But your standard processor does a good job of emulating it.
Ive had no probs with Linux (im using redhat).
Its cheap, superbly stable and extremly configurable.
Not tried my cd burner on lin yet so not to sure, but there was plenty packages that came with redhat for it (and i had the cut down version).
It comes with Netscape and you can also get Mozilla(open source web browser).
All this in a rock steady cheap op system :P

[Thelemac]

Originally posted by Init-0
Youll only get true multitasking with dual/multiple processors :P
But your standard processor does a good job of emulating it.
Ive had no probs with Linux (im using redhat).
Its cheap, superbly stable and extremly configurable.
Not tried my cd burner on lin yet so not to sure, but there was plenty packages that came with redhat for it (and i had the cut down version).
It comes with Netscape and you can also get Mozilla(open source web browser).
All this in a rock steady cheap op system :P

That's not actually true. Current processors multitask just fine...that's actually the underlying reason that the P4 is outgunned by the Athlon. It performs more tasks per cycle. The Linux kernel is designed with multitasking in mind, and does a very nice job doing so. :)

[David]

Any linux rocks when it comes to multitasking.

Now for the techie bit:

When each program/module etc runs it is called a process. Different processes have different priorities ie who gets the access to the CPu and memory. INIT is the mother of all processes. It is the first process started and the last one to finish. If you stop the process called INIT (called killing a process, then the PC shuts down. Because iof these priorities, it is extremely difficult for a process to fail because of another process. This is true for CD burning. In windows all processes, or tasks as ms likes to call them (do CTRL ALT DEL to get teh task manager) have equal priorities so even a screensaver can muck up that CD you are burning. In linux, the cd recording program (called cdrecord) has one of the highest priorities. This means that the only way you can get a buffer underrun is to stop or slow down the data that is going to the cd ie. deleting the image.

[Init-0]

Well aint it that the processor aint running two tasks in the same cycle, the processor is actually stringing the processes to be refreshed in order. So each application gets its only slice of time to be executed then the processor moves onto the next one till it comes in a loop and gets back to the first one, i think its called a Scheduler whos job this is.
This simiulates multitasking. When you get two processors you can run two indipendant processes at the same time, so this is true multitasking.

[David]

Originally posted by Init-0
Well aint it that the processor aint running two tasks in the same cycle, the processor is actually stringing the processes to be refreshed in order. So each application gets its only slice of time to be executed then the processor moves onto the next one till it comes in a loop and gets back to the first one, i think its called a Scheduler whos job this is.
This simiulates multitasking. When you get two processors you can run two indipendant processes at the same time, so this is true multitasking.

The stuff about process priorities is to do with linuxs way of multitasking to prevent coasters etc. You are absolutely rioght about the hardware bitz.

[Init-0]

Yeah, Windows uses this technique for it too.
But if i can get wine working.
Who need windows :P

[dragoone]

soo... when someone is running multiple programs (aol and winamp, for example) then the computer is processing only 1 at a time? how is it that all the programs still (seem to) run smoothly?

[engjohn]

Originally posted by dragoone
soo... when someone is running multiple programs (aol and winamp, for example) then the computer is processing only 1 at a time? how is it that all the programs still (seem to) run smoothly?

The CPU can switch between the proggies fast enough so that you cannot tell...