BogoMips is a computer benchmark measurement of the processing speed of a computer. The term "Bogo" stands for "bogus" or "bologna," meaning that the measurement is not a precise or accurate representation of the performance of the computer. The word is pronounced /ˈboʊɡoʊˌmɪps/ (BOH-goh-mips), with the stress on the first syllable. The IPA phonetic transcription of the word is [ˈboʊɡoʊˌmɪps]. The spelling of this word may seem unusual, but it is a common phenomenon in the tech industry to create new terms by combining words or parts of words.
BogoMips is a term coined by Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, which stands for "bogus millions of instructions per second." It is a measurement used to represent the speed of a computer processor's performance. BogoMips is primarily found on Linux systems and is determined by a simple algorithm that tests the speed of the processor during system initialization.
The BogoMips value is not an accurate measurement of a processor's actual speed in millions of instructions per second, but rather a rough approximation. It is known as "bogus" because the algorithm used to calculate it does not involve any actual instructions, but instead utilizes a busy loop that runs repeatedly until a certain predetermined time has passed. Thus, BogoMips simply provides a relative measure in comparison to other processors.
The BogoMips value can be useful for certain tasks, such as estimating the efficiency of a processor or comparing the speeds of different systems. However, it should not be relied upon as an exact measurement of processor performance as it does not reflect real-world usage scenarios.
Overall, BogoMips serves as a straightforward yet imprecise benchmarking metric for a processor's performance, providing a general idea of its relative speed.
The word "BogoMips" is a portmanteau of two terms: "Bogus" and "MIPS".
The term "Bogus" means fake, false, or not genuine, indicating that there is a lack of authenticity or accuracy.
"MIPS" stands for "Million Instructions Per Second", which is a measure of computing performance and the speed at which a computer can execute instructions. It is a common metric used to compare the performance of different computers or processors.
The term "BogoMips" was coined by Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, as a tongue-in-cheek measurement of processor speed. It was introduced in the Linux kernel source code as a simple performance measurement for processors, particularly in the context of kernel timing loops.