[rescue] your next Solaris machine ??? (Sol/x86 booting on iMac)

[Andrew Weiss]

On Apr 14, 2006, at 11:08 PM, der Mouse wrote:

>> Other than graphics performance in X, IBM workstations pretty much
>> mop the floor with EVERYTHING else.
>
> Well, also excepting source-code openness.  I know I certainly won't
> buy one, even second-hand, unless it can run an open-source kernel.
> (Yes, some IBM workstations do run open-source OSes.  But some don't.
> I don't know which class the ones that started this thread fall into.)

All of the ones since MCA do.

The latest ones do.

The 44P does.

That said, Open Source OS'es on RS/6000's (WHY?).. though Linux does  
run very well on POWER/PPC.  In my experience I think that for  
performance the PPC/POWER family is the best Linux platform.

AIX is still better.

My largest complaint is actually with trying to compile Open Source  
software on AIX using xlc.  Nothing builds without a lot of hand  
holding... compare this to commercial code that you can download and  
use the old license for (SSH 3.2.9.1 or such from Tectia).  I  
compiled that on xlc without a single blip or warning.  30-45 seconds  
compile time gmake -j 6 on 4 POWER 3-II's with 8MB of cache each.   
F*ing GNU code assumes all the world is a Linux peecee... and even on  
those they spew gratuitous warnings and other sloppy code problems.

Andrew