[SunRescue] SunPCI question & comment on Linux

[Michael S. Schiller]

Hi All.

A quick question... I have a 400mhz SunPCi card installed in my Ultra5,
and I was wondering if anyone knows if it's powered up the whole time
the system is running, or if when it's not being used if it's in a
'suspend' mode? I ask this because my air conditioning isn't working all
that well, and it's been HOT in the house, and the U5 is actually
getting fairly warm to the touch. Would shutting down the SunPCi window
(effectively shutting down the PC) cut down on the production of heat
inside the machine?

As for OS wars, I've always felt that it's best to run the OS that's
specifically designed for the hardware whenever possible. I qualify that
because when old hardware is involved, some of the newer free OSes are
probably a better choice. For example, I have an old HP Apollo 425 that
I run NetBSD on, rather than trying to run an older version of HPUX that
I don't even have, and wouldn't know where to find in the first place!
But on my Suns I run Solaris, using the most current version the
hardware will allow. When I had an Indy, I ran Irix on it. The only
other exception I make is when it comes to Windows, ANYTHING is better
than windows! On my PC I run FreeBSD, but I've run Linux on it as well,
and find both of them fine general purpose unices. (yea, I know, linux
isn't unix, but it sure acts like it, and as they say 'If it walks like
a duck, quacks like a duck... It's a DUCK!') Now if I could find
somebody to write auction management software similar to the
Auctiontamer software I run on Win9x for Solaris, I'd be all set, and
wouldn't need this SunPCi card at all!

Just my $0.02

-Mike

PS I still have my copy of 386BSD back before there was Free/Net/Open
varieties! Oh, and one more comment on Linux...
I'm sort of disappointed in all the different 'distros' of linux. I wish
they (along with the Free/Net/Open BSD crowd) would all get together,
and present a common interface. You'd think they'd have learned from the
lesson of the Unix wars of a decade ago!

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PGP fingerprint= D2 4F A8 B7 13 D5 73 1E  48 99 40 99 F9 BC 74 74
Email: schiller at agrijag.com           Web: http://www.agrijag.com
Voice: 423-625-6349                   FAX: 423-623-9054
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *