User guide

audio mixing. The performance of software audio mixing and playback is greatly improved in ALSA
version 1.0.13 and later.
After the driver is installed, the optional NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards that are supported in HP
workstations also provide audio functionality over HDMI. The signal can be passed through the
DisplayPort connector to a monitor with audio capabilities. The vendor driver must be installed. Such a
configuration might present two audio hardware choices. If you do not hear sound through the
speakers, one possible reason is that the graphics card (default) is selected for audio output instead of
the DisplayPort. Check the audio settings (for example, Sound in gnome-control-center).
In some systems, embedded Intel HD graphics may also present a similar HDMI audio device that can
be used through the DisplayPort interface. No proprietary driver is needed for this device, just a
sufficiently recent kernel.
Network cards
All HP workstations include one or two integrated network interface controllers. Some support optional
NICs. Most Linux distributions have drivers for these interfaces.
Hyper-Threading Technology
The Z Series Workstations support Hyper-Threading Technology (HTT), an Intel technology that
improves processor performance by enabling the processor to simultaneously performing multiple tasks.
The operating system treats an HTT-enabled processor as two virtual processors and shares the
workload between them when possible. This feature can be used only if the operating system support
multiple processors and is specifically optimized for HTT.
To enable HTT:
1. During startup, press F10 to enter Computer Setup (F10) Utility.
2. Select Advanced > Device Options.
3. Set Hyper-Threading to Enable, and then press F10 to exit the menu.
4. Select File > Save Changes and Exit.
5. Restart the system to enable HTT.
NOTE: On most recent Linux distributions (including RHEL 5, RHEL 6, SLED 11, and updates to those
streams), the kernel automatically detects that HTT is enabled and works correctly.
164 Appendix A Linux technical notes