Re: [MLUG] gcc and Intel compilers for Linux

[ryan woodsmall <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Intel has been offering their Linux compilers for free/non-commercial  
use for about two years now.  They are REALLY nice compilers, and can  
speed up a large program pretty dramatically.  GCC compatibility is  
good and getting better as well - I know there were a few small  
patches to the Linux kernel that would allow you to compile it with  
the Intel C compiler; speedup wasn't all that huge, but the fact that  
it's even doable is commendable.

Try them out - if you have some CPU-intensive numerical programs,  
make use of vector programming or need fast FP (MMX, SIMD, SSE,  
etc.), the Intel compilers should be good for you.

  ryan woodsmall
    EMAIL:PROTECTED



On May 14, 2005, at 12:51 PM, Mike Miller wrote:

> Have you guys checked out the Intel compilers?  One of our MSI  
> (supercomputer) geeks told me that they find "up to" a 4-fold speed  
> improvement using the Intel compiler instead of gcc.  Smaller  
> improvements (e.g., 20%) are more common, of course, but he thought  
> Intel's compiler nearly always produced a faster binary than did  
> gcc.  The newest versions of the free intel compilers are highly  
> gcc compatible, he told me.  They are freely available for  
> noncommercial use (but obviously not free software).
>
> http://www.intel.com/software/products/compilers/linux/
>
> Here they use the term "Free Software" in a deceptive way:
>
> http://www.intel.com/software/products/noncom/
>
> I thought this was kinda interesting:
>
> http://www.intel.com/software/products/noncom/faq.htm
>
> Q. I'm developing a product that I provide for free. However, I do  
> charge for supporting this product. Can I use the noncommercial  
> products for developing this product?
>
> A. No. Even though the product you develop is free, it is part of  
> an overall commercial offering.
>
>
> Crazy.  Anyway, the commercial version won't bankrupt anyone.
>
>
> What are your opinions of this Intel initiative?
>
> Mike
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