Solaris is irrelevant.
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| Bob_Robertson May 10, 2008 6:29 AM EDT |
The problem with Solaris is that there isn't a market segment that needs it. Servers have Linux. Desktops have Macs, Windows, Linux, BeOS, etc etc etc. Solaris is redundant. OpenSolaris isn't really open, since I can't fork it. Most Sun hardware (read recently 75%) is running Linux anyway. The substantial cost of development, of maintaining Solaris (open or not) is born by Sun. They also have to contribute to Linux in order for their hardware to remain relevant. This is duplicate effort on their part. Remove the duplication. Remove the legal fog that is being raised about SCOX "granting" Sun the license to open Solaris code at all. Remove all the costs of maintaining Solaris, and what happens? Nothing. Linux still runs on all the Sun hardware, and it's really good hardware, and Sun stays in business selling hardware and service. Rant rant rant rant...... |
| Steven_Rosenber May 10, 2008 2:27 PM EDT |
What I'd like to know is whether or not Solaris scales up better than Linux on Intel hardware. Why this matters on the desktop is anybody's guess. |
| rijelkentaurus May 10, 2008 3:18 PM EDT |
All I can say is this: On the hardwares that I have tested both Linux and Solaris on (all Intel/AMD), Linux runs like a scalded dog, Solaris runs like a one-legged dog. I can't believe how slow it was. XP was faster. |
| herzeleid May 10, 2008 4:40 PM EDT |
The argument back in the day was that solaris scaled better than linux on huge sparc systems. I'll still grant solaris the edge on sparc, as linux has never been as well tested or debugged there, as on intel. With the common x86 platform, we have a level playing field, and it will be interesting to see how the benchmark wars play out, with linux and solaris head to head on identical hardware. I do think linux will give a good accounting of itself - a quick glance at the specweb 2005 results shows solaris and linux currently battling it out for top spot. As to the relevance, there are still some pockets of solaris fans, but I'd have to agree that linux is, more and more, filling the niches that used to be solaris' sweet spot. |
| number6x May 10, 2008 5:04 PM EDT |
Solaris could be relevant, but Novell beat them to the niche. There is a certain mindset in the corporate IT world that feels the need to purchase products that are proprietary. Using debian or Slackware would make their skin crawl or cause ulcers. They can't help it. Open Solaris could have been an OS for those people. But I think Novell is already marketing to that niche. Looking at the arguments in the Novell vs. SCO trial going on last week, I think Novell may be building a case for a follow up lawsuit against SCO for giving Sun the go-ahead to open source Solaris. If SCO some how survives Novell, Bankruptcy and IBM, Novell will try to drive another stake through SCO's heart. They might even be able to fight off the competition from Sun for that niche market of the corporate mindset that needs a proprietary form of 'Open'. |
| Bob_Robertson May 10, 2008 5:34 PM EDT |
> I'll still grant solaris the edge on sparc, as linux has never been as well tested or debugged there, as on intel. I don't know about that. As mentioned above, more than half of the SPARC hardware runs Linux already. I installed Linux (debian, duh) on three SPARC machines, 2, 10 and 20. Even on the SPARC2, Linux was very responsive. I used a SPARC2 for a couple of years with SunOS4, and Linux had a much better feel. At the least, the installation was far cleaner, less chaff, simpler. It was interesting, installing by serial console. It gave meaning to the "ugly" Debian installer, that nevertheless ran on _everything_. |
| Steven_Rosenber May 10, 2008 8:55 PM EDT |
I'd love to get a SPARC to run Debian and OpenBSD on. |
| number6x May 11, 2008 3:18 AM EDT |
ebay
search for 'sparc workstation' many hits: http://cgi.ebay.com/SUN-SPARC-STATION-10-WORKSTATION_W0QQite... try the math or physics departments at area Universities. We were using solaris and next when I was getting my masters in Physics in the early 90's. We had HP Unix and Vax for the big jobs, or time on the National Lab's Cray. I know DePaul University sells their old computers to the public once a year here in Chicago. Others may have similar policies. The university's Linux Lug might be a good route to go through to get contacts. |
| vainrveenr May 12, 2008 11:29 AM EDT |
Quoting:ebay search for 'sparc workstation'This yields a single SUN Sparc Station 10 Workstation located in the Oklahoma City Metro Area, United States Now look at the location of the auctioned lot of SUN Sparc 5, 10, 20 computers advertised at http://cgi.ebay.com/SUN-SPARC-5-10-20-COMPUTERS-LOT_W0QQitem... Hmmm............if this latter location is any sort of an indicator, then any good guesses as to why these three SparcStations specifically have Solaris 5.9 and Debian GNU/Linux pre-loaded ?? |
| number6x May 12, 2008 11:59 AM EDT |
I did not write clearly, I apologize. If you search for 'sparc workstation' on ebay you will get many hits. One example is: http://cgi.ebay.com/SUN-SPARC-STATION-10-WORKSTATION_W0QQite... I bought a new computer from a company in Redmond Washington once. Pogo Linux http://www.pogolinux.com/ Nice people |
| Steven_Rosenber May 12, 2008 1:21 PM EDT |
Quoting:ebay search for 'sparc workstation' Saw that one ... price is $20, but shipping will set me back an additional $60. Then I have to worry about keyboard, mouse and monitor ... I want the whole package, as it were. |
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