Has anyone tried using the free Intel compilers and MKL linear algebra libraries on a Linode? I am thinking about going down this path for floating-point performance and wonder if anyone else has tried this route.

James

I'm using icc on a Linode for fast bitfield operations, and it's great. The resulting program, in my case, is about twice as fast as what I was getting with gcc using all the relevant optimization flags. Just make sure you're not planning to migrate to an AMD box.

Haven't tried any of the floating point stuff.

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Hartford makes bread and jeans, and paper art.

Hmm. I would be compiling the Python libraries for Numpy (and maybe Scipy), everything else would be standard Ubuntu. I see Intel details how to compile Numpy for MKL using icc here:

http://software.intel.com/en-us/article ... user-note/

James

Yeah, I would definitely give it a try. I'd bet you'll see a big speedup for the type of stuff you're doing.

Incidentally, how exactly does one pronounce 'zunzun'? I need to know in case automated curve fitting comes up during happy hour.

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Hartford makes bread and jeans, and paper art.

Rhymes with "moon moon".

James

Installing now. I will build numpy, scipy and matplotlib locally using icc for testing, leaving the existing Ubuntu versions in place for the time being.

James

mind=blown

edit: I always thought it rhymed with "sun sun"

Well, "zoon zoon" is how it is pronounced on the other side of the planet - my wife is from Burma, and that's her nickname.

As an aside, they don't have family last names there and everyone's last name is different. For example the war hero who kicked the British out of Burma was named Aung San - his daughter, Suu Kyi (of Nobel Peace Prize fame).

James

Tried for hours using Intels instructions from

http://software.intel.com/en-us/article ... -with-mkl/

with first a local install, no go and no error messages. Giving up on that I tried a root install, same result. Since Intel's instructions won't work for me, I'm giving up on them and sticking with what works - gcc. It would be different if I could follow their instructions and get a working installation of the software.

James

Hmm, what makes it a "no go"? Anything in /opt/intel?

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Hartford makes bread and jeans, and paper art.

No. I'm not going to bother with it anymore.

James