Comments on: To Many Linux Distros? http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/07/20/to-many-linux-distros/ Utterly random, incoherent and disjointed rants and ramblings... Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:32:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Craig Betts http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/07/20/to-many-linux-distros/#comment-5375 Sat, 21 Jul 2007 16:16:38 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/07/20/to-many-linux-distros/#comment-5375 Linux has it's place. I have built many Linux systems and experimented with many ditros. They all did the job that I needed at that time. It was free and able to compile whatever I needed that wasn't included with the distro. Lots of fun. But . . . I will never deploy another Linux box in an enterprise environment ever again! Mnay people out there talk about how easy it is to use Linux. That's great. Now go try to upgrade your Linux system. If all you use are the applications that come with the OS, this will be an easy task. However, I work in an engineering environment. Not only do I have many COTS products (commercial off the shelf), but I have many home-brewed packages. You ask yourself, "why is this a problem?" . . . because the bloody Linux kernel keeps changing! I have been a UNIX admin for years. I have worked with a variety of flavors like Solaris, HP-UX, Irix, BSD (open and free). I have never seen so many changes happen to an OS until I was exposed to Linux. I was one of the few that got sucked into Linux back when Loki games was around. They made all kinds of high-end games that ran on Linux, back in the 2.2 kernel days. Haven't seen them around in a while? Thats because a lot of functionality broke when the 2.4 kernel came out. Loki now had to figure out how to recompile EVERYTHING to get it working again. Now here is a trip . . . I have a program I compiled on a Solaris 2.5 box back in 1997. It will still run today on Solaris 10! Keep in mind, Solaris 2.5 was only 32 bit, Solaris 10 is only 64 bit (on a SPARC processor anyways). Why does it work? Because Sun took the time to insure it would be backward compatible. They even stated that if your program will not run on the new OS, Sun will make the changes needed to insure the old code will work! This is the bane of Linux. I know, there are companies that produce "commercial grade" Linux, but they are still at the mercy of the open source developers. Don't get me wrong. I like Linux. I just don't want to use it in an enterprise. I have wasted too much time performing upgrades In the end, Solaris was actually cheaper for me to deploy. Less over time, less money spent on support (vs RedHat Enterprise Linux), not to mention I am a certified Solaris admin (I did as far as my RHCT). Maybe I will build my BeOS box again and show all of you a real operating system . . . ;-) Linux has it’s place. I have built many Linux systems and experimented with many ditros. They all did the job that I needed at that time. It was free and able to compile whatever I needed that wasn’t included with the distro. Lots of fun.

But . . . I will never deploy another Linux box in an enterprise environment ever again! Mnay people out there talk about how easy it is to use Linux. That’s great. Now go try to upgrade your Linux system. If all you use are the applications that come with the OS, this will be an easy task. However, I work in an engineering environment. Not only do I have many COTS products (commercial off the shelf), but I have many home-brewed packages. You ask yourself, “why is this a problem?” . . . because the bloody Linux kernel keeps changing!

I have been a UNIX admin for years. I have worked with a variety of flavors like Solaris, HP-UX, Irix, BSD (open and free). I have never seen so many changes happen to an OS until I was exposed to Linux.

I was one of the few that got sucked into Linux back when Loki games was around. They made all kinds of high-end games that ran on Linux, back in the 2.2 kernel days. Haven’t seen them around in a while? Thats because a lot of functionality broke when the 2.4 kernel came out. Loki now had to figure out how to recompile EVERYTHING to get it working again.

Now here is a trip . . . I have a program I compiled on a Solaris 2.5 box back in 1997. It will still run today on Solaris 10! Keep in mind, Solaris 2.5 was only 32 bit, Solaris 10 is only 64 bit (on a SPARC processor anyways). Why does it work? Because Sun took the time to insure it would be backward compatible. They even stated that if your program will not run on the new OS, Sun will make the changes needed to insure the old code will work! This is the bane of Linux.

I know, there are companies that produce “commercial grade” Linux, but they are still at the mercy of the open source developers.

Don’t get me wrong. I like Linux. I just don’t want to use it in an enterprise. I have wasted too much time performing upgrades In the end, Solaris was actually cheaper for me to deploy. Less over time, less money spent on support (vs RedHat Enterprise Linux), not to mention I am a certified Solaris admin (I did as far as my RHCT).

Maybe I will build my BeOS box again and show all of you a real operating system . . . -)

]]> by: Starhawk http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/07/20/to-many-linux-distros/#comment-5351 Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:08:42 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/07/20/to-many-linux-distros/#comment-5351 Lesbian OS Wow that's a new on me. lmao Hmm if ReactOS is ever finished I suppose it is aimed at those who want to use windows apps but don't wanna pay. It is a great programming project and I gotta respect the developers on that one. Goes to show tho people will code for no other reason than for the hell of it and for the challenge. I'm wondering if MS is going to sue them or threaten to esp if this ever gets any real usage. Lesbian OS Wow that’s a new on me. lmao

Hmm if ReactOS is ever finished I suppose it is aimed at those who want to use windows apps but don’t wanna pay. It is a great programming project and I gotta respect the developers on that one. Goes to show tho people will code for no other reason than for the hell of it and for the challenge. I’m wondering if MS is going to sue them or threaten to esp if this ever gets any real usage.

]]> by: Luke http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/07/20/to-many-linux-distros/#comment-5350 Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:56:51 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/07/20/to-many-linux-distros/#comment-5350 Heh, I saw ReactOS before. If you think about it, it's kind of an interesting project. Interesting from a developers point of view - a great exercise in revers engineering. I see how people could get excited about it. But, who is this OS aimed at? I don't think anyone is actually running it - it's more of a toy OS that you download so that you can tinker with it. Oh, and as far as silly Operating Systems go my favorite was always <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20070510141839/http://www.lesbian.mine.nu/" rel="nofollow">Lesbian OS</a>. :mrgreen: Heh, I saw ReactOS before. If you think about it, it’s kind of an interesting project. Interesting from a developers point of view - a great exercise in revers engineering. I see how people could get excited about it.

But, who is this OS aimed at? I don’t think anyone is actually running it - it’s more of a toy OS that you download so that you can tinker with it.

Oh, and as far as silly Operating Systems go my favorite was always Lesbian OS. mrgreen

]]> by: Starhawk http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/07/20/to-many-linux-distros/#comment-5346 Fri, 20 Jul 2007 17:57:17 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/07/20/to-many-linux-distros/#comment-5346 hey i can create <a href="http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/" rel="nofollow">my own version of linux</a>. But yeah you're right it is lame ass argument, oddly enough i don't hear people saying there are too many text editors or too many IM programs or too many WinZip clones and on and on. Saying there are too many versions of linux is about like saying there are too many vegetables in the world. Sometimes choice is a good thing. I don't think too many distros hurts linux for someone new to it, newbies chose what their friends recommend or what is popular, and some might even research it and base their choice on philosophy or expected ease of use. even microsoft has alot of choices these days ya know, the main one being XP vs vista but both xp and vista come in different flavors. I personally think the 3 major OSes microsoft apple and linux is not enough choice. I know there are others but they are mostly ignored or too limited (freeDos haha). btw what do ya think of <a href="http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html" rel="nofollow">ReactOS</a>? I gotta laugh over that one :D I try to stay away from flame bait, alot of stuff online pisses me off or i disagree and for the most part I ignore it and go on with my pseudo random web surfing. It's not productive anyway I seriously doubt forums and comments change many peoples opinions, esp irrational or deeply held opinions. hey i can create my own version of linux. But yeah you’re right it is lame ass argument, oddly enough i don’t hear people saying there are too many text editors or too many IM programs or too many WinZip clones and on and on. Saying there are too many versions of linux is about like saying there are too many vegetables in the world. Sometimes choice is a good thing. I don’t think too many distros hurts linux for someone new to it, newbies chose what their friends recommend or what is popular, and some might even research it and base their choice on philosophy or expected ease of use. even microsoft has alot of choices these days ya know, the main one being XP vs vista but both xp and vista come in different flavors. I personally think the 3 major OSes microsoft apple and linux is not enough choice. I know there are others but they are mostly ignored or too limited (freeDos haha). btw what do ya think of ReactOS? I gotta laugh over that one D

I try to stay away from flame bait, alot of stuff online pisses me off or i disagree and for the most part I ignore it and go on with my pseudo random web surfing. It’s not productive anyway I seriously doubt forums and comments change many peoples opinions, esp irrational or deeply held opinions.

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