Comments on: Linux gets built-in Cell processor support

Updated kernel includes Oracle software for clustered databases, improves how OS runs on multiprocessor systems.

[gary85739]

Tried Linux,,,

It seemed just fine, BUT,,,there is no way that I am going to continue to use cause you have to read way too many manuals just to do basic stuff that Windows or OSX will let me do by just a few clicks at most!

In addition to not being a geek, I don't have the time to search message boards,etc to solve my Linux queries!

Linux is just fine, if you have the time and inclination to learn it, otherwise, it is little more than another way to surf the internet!

[Johnny Mnemonic]

I am sceptical...

Clearly you have never tried Linux as there are no
manuals, unless of course you are speaking about the
online manuals that are easily indexed for you
in the event you have a problem pointing and
clicking your mouse. Try it for real, you won't
be diappointed:

http://people.freedesktop.org/~davidr/xgl-demo1.xvid.avi

[Johnny Mnemonic]

Also...

If Novel's desktop doesn't impress, check out
what Sun has been doing with Linux. I can assure
you that you will be suitably impressed. Considering
this was several years ago, you can clearly see how
far ahead of Windows Linux truly is:

http://www.sun.com/software/looking_glass/demo.xml

[gary85739]

Tried Linux,,,

It seemed just fine, BUT,,,there is no way that I am going to continue to use cause you have to read way too many manuals just to do basic stuff that Windows or OSX will let me do by just a few clicks at most!

In addition to not being a geek, I don't have the time to search message boards,etc to solve my Linux queries!

Linux is just fine, if you have the time and inclination to learn it, otherwise, it is little more than another way to surf the internet!

[Johnny Mnemonic]

I am sceptical...

Clearly you have never tried Linux as there are no
manuals, unless of course you are speaking about the
online manuals that are easily indexed for you
in the event you have a problem pointing and
clicking your mouse. Try it for real, you won't
be diappointed:

http://people.freedesktop.org/~davidr/xgl-demo1.xvid.avi

[Johnny Mnemonic]

Also...

If Novel's desktop doesn't impress, check out
what Sun has been doing with Linux. I can assure
you that you will be suitably impressed. Considering
this was several years ago, you can clearly see how
far ahead of Windows Linux truly is:

http://www.sun.com/software/looking_glass/demo.xml

[MyBrotherSteve]

Use of Linux on 'majority of computers'....

One comment in this article caught my attention, where Stephen mentions, "Linux is most widely used on low-end computers...."
Now, I'm not sure where that bit of information was sourced from, but from what I understand, about half the servers on the internet are running a Linux OS, and I'd doubt that most of these are low-end machines. I'm sure Google is not using low-end hardware to run their entire server farm. IBM and other top-tier hardware makers certainly would not label the type of computers they're marketing as Linux machines to businesses as low-end.
Perhaps the desktop market end users have distros installed on lower-end computers, but most sources estimate that 'Desktop Linux' makes up a small percentage of overall usage.

[freemarket--2008]

Actually...

One major incentive for businesses to switch to linux (server or desktop) is that they can run it on their existing hardware instead of having to upgrade to support the latest MS bloatware or over-priced Unix boxes.

[MyBrotherSteve]

Use of Linux on 'majority of computers'....

One comment in this article caught my attention, where Stephen mentions, "Linux is most widely used on low-end computers...."
Now, I'm not sure where that bit of information was sourced from, but from what I understand, about half the servers on the internet are running a Linux OS, and I'd doubt that most of these are low-end machines. I'm sure Google is not using low-end hardware to run their entire server farm. IBM and other top-tier hardware makers certainly would not label the type of computers they're marketing as Linux machines to businesses as low-end.
Perhaps the desktop market end users have distros installed on lower-end computers, but most sources estimate that 'Desktop Linux' makes up a small percentage of overall usage.

[freemarket--2008]

Actually...

One major incentive for businesses to switch to linux (server or desktop) is that they can run it on their existing hardware instead of having to upgrade to support the latest MS bloatware or over-priced Unix boxes.

[fromz]

Relevance

Without meaning to sound ignorant - in what way does your comment about your experience with Linux (presumably on a desktop level) have to do with a story on a number of features being added to the kernel that isn't likely to affect you?

[fromz]

Relevance

Without meaning to sound ignorant - in what way does your comment about your experience with Linux (presumably on a desktop level) have to do with a story on a number of features being added to the kernel that isn't likely to affect you?

[hutchike]

Niagara support is the big news

Having support for Sun's T1 processor has to be the big news here. I expect T2000 and T1000 servers will outsell any Cell machines this year, especially when Sun announces its forthcoming Blade Servers.

[hutchike]

Niagara support is the big news

Having support for Sun's T1 processor has to be the big news here. I expect T2000 and T1000 servers will outsell any Cell machines this year, especially when Sun announces its forthcoming Blade Servers.

[lgmbackman]

Try Linspire or some "ready made" distro

The ability to tweek Linux is always there, but if you need something "out of the box" just choose a distro for that purpose.

[lgmbackman]

Try Linspire or some "ready made" distro

The ability to tweek Linux is always there, but if you need something "out of the box" just choose a distro for that purpose.

[lgmbackman]

"Wildly used" is a number of digits here

To count dollars as the "wildly used" is harder.
The more that 350 supercomputers out of 500 running Linux is wildly more dollars than 350 desktop computers running Linux, and who knows if the number of embedded devices running Linux is not higher both in numbers and in dollars.
Counting the use of Linux is difficult and will probably stay so as the number of Windows machines turned into Linux machines is not counted in any (of the more or less worthless) statitics.

[lgmbackman]

"Wildly used" is a number of digits here

To count dollars as the "wildly used" is harder.
The more that 350 supercomputers out of 500 running Linux is wildly more dollars than 350 desktop computers running Linux, and who knows if the number of embedded devices running Linux is not higher both in numbers and in dollars.
Counting the use of Linux is difficult and will probably stay so as the number of Windows machines turned into Linux machines is not counted in any (of the more or less worthless) statitics.

[DavidHalko]

OpenSPARC T1 Support!!!

Now - that is the BOMB!

Linux on a truly Open Source Processor... the highest
throughput processor in the industry!

Nice to know Linux can be hacked into a Playstation - the real
news is the 1U high Open servers what will support it!

You can't pack higher performance into a rack at a cheaper price
any other way... OpenSPARC and Linux downloaded off the Web!

[DavidHalko]

OpenSPARC T1 Support!!!

Now - that is the BOMB!

Linux on a truly Open Source Processor... the highest
throughput processor in the industry!

Nice to know Linux can be hacked into a Playstation - the real
news is the 1U high Open servers what will support it!

You can't pack higher performance into a rack at a cheaper price
any other way... OpenSPARC and Linux downloaded off the Web!