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Again, you are looking at it from the perspective of a linux desktop home user, which puts you in less then 1% of the market. UNIX is not about x, or gnome, or firefox. It is about throughput, stability, and security. Linux has wiped many UNIXs off the map, Solaris is one of the few that has stayed strong, as it is probably the most advanced OS on the market. Last time I checked, you weren't able to hotswap a CPU on linux
You must have checked a long time ago, then, because you can hotswap CPUs on Linux for a long time. That really doesn't require much "advanced functionality" from the software at all. That myth is probably because the hardware actually is more exotic and nobody would think to do it in their home systems.
You'd want to be careful with that claim. Linux has many areas that rival or better solaris, and many other operating systems like AIX or mainframes have pretty advanced functionality too.
Edited 2007-09-04 18:40
I agree with most of your comment, just wanted to add that cpu hotswap/hotplugging is indeed possible on linux.
Just google for it: http://www.google.com/search?q=linux+cpu+hotplugging .
I fail to see what CPU hotswaping has to do with it's challenge to linux desktop wise. Sun have some good server orientated hardware/software but for hardware support on the desktop it's not even close.
Sun may have the toys but turning them into a desktop linux killer I fail to see.
Just a question: what hardware support is missing from Solaris that prohibits you from installing it?
"Last time I checked, you weren't able to hotswap a CPU on linux."
Please check again.
Of course you can't hotswap a CPU (or memory) on most Linux systems, but that's just because the hardware itself doesn't allow it.
If this were to be a pissing contest, then Solaris would loose to the 1024-CPU SGI monsters running Linux.
It was actaully released by Microsoft; Java was at the top then it was Visual Basic, C++, C then 'misc' right at the end.
Its easy to say, 'more programmers' when there could be a number of programmers who contribute nothing outside a small widget. Numbers are nice, but if they're not using these technologies for something substantial, its like counting the number of people who like to eat jelly beans - completely pointless.





Member since:
2006-02-05
There is more to the computing world then desktop users.
In the embedded space, java is unchallenged, and in the business space, .net is only just starting to make some inroads into a completely java dominated market. There are far more programmers whose job is to develop on java then any other language. Just because as a desktop user you don't come in contact with it that often, doesnt mean that it doesnt have a collosal install base. In fact, home use is more setting their sights lower rather then higher, considering the embedded market compared to the home desktop market.
Again, you are looking at it from the perspective of a linux desktop home user, which puts you in less then 1% of the market. UNIX is not about x, or gnome, or firefox. It is about throughput, stability, and security. Linux has wiped many UNIXs off the map, Solaris is one of the few that has stayed strong, as it is probably the most advanced OS on the market. Last time I checked, you weren't able to hotswap a CPU on linux.