Subject: shell script performance improvement
To: None <port-mips@netbsd.org>
From: Toru Nishimura <nisimura@itc.aist-nara.ac.jp>
List: port-mips
Date: 03/26/2000 16:41:17
Hello, guys.

Any qualified NetBSD/mips folks are asked to dig out the reason why
shell scripts run slowly on NetBSD/mips.  My first guess is the cost
of fork/exec operation is handicapped severely.

NetBSD/mips systems do not run scripts slower than they used to,
however, the introduction of /etc/rc.d/ mandates to solve the
performance issue, I think.

I've updated 25MHz DECstation (equipped with 40MB memory and 64KB
separated I/D cache) with a snapshot image around 2000/3/25, and
realized it spends over _150_ seconds before login: prompt when it's
booted.  It's unacceptable, and the system usablity was spoiled.

With new /etc/rc.d/, NetBSD/pmax shells out 850+ processes to complete
system startup procedure.  Some of startup stages look so slow that
I'm afraid of system lockup.  Need broad helps to save NetBSD/mips 1.5

Tohru Nishimura
Information Technology Centre
Nara Institute of Science and Technology