[SUMMARY] Linux on Sun Sparc hardware

Question: experiences with running Linux on Sun Sparc hardware

Well I should know better than to ask a religious question
on this list!

Here's how the recommendations broke down:
   Use Linux on Sparc:    [8]
   Use Solaris on Sparc:  [12]

Resources:

   http://www.ultralinux.org
   
General comments:

  Pro Solaris:
  - Solaris 8 with Companion CD (GNU utilities) is adequate
  - Solaris is stable. Redhat 6.2 on Ultra2 was unstable even with low load
  - Redhat support for Sparc seems to be frozen at version 6.2
  - Linux development for sparc is stale because Solaris is now free...
    most linux distros are several revs old
  - Linux still suffers from no direct maps with automounter, and 
    neither reiserFS or ext3 is as stable as Solaris 8 logging
  - Not much response on Sydney Linux list...probably not much interest
  
  Pro Linux:
  - Linux is faster (multiple comments)
  - Debian on an mp630,and Ultra 5 ran just fine
  - Redhat 6.2 and Debian runs nicely on Sparc 5
  - Debian is geared for servers and runs nicely; avoid Redhat on servers!
  - Slackware runs nicely on Sparc
  - Redhat 6.2: 7:52am  up 139 days ... (Ultra-5)
  - Use lightweight window manager (KDE is very slow on sparc)
  - Debian or SuSE recommended over Redhat
  
Miscellaneous notes:

  - One note to check out www.ximian.com
  - Check out OpenBSD! Much more secure and robust.
  - Check out NetBSD! Ditto.

Interesting comment:

  I'd suggest to anyone trying to use any other OS on Sun kit, that they need 
  a compelling reason  not to use Solaris. e.g. "I must use foo-OS because 
  Solaris doesn't, won't ever do XYZ, and I need XYZ to do my job". Otherwise 
  they are probably just complicating their lives unnecessarily. It's not like
  Solaris costs anything.... unlike some Unixes....

  I think the supported nature of Solaris is a crucial factor in the decision; 
  e.g. if someone finds a security hole in Solaris, it gets patched quickly
  (well, generally). Sun loses money, and face if we don't. 
  
Thanks to:

Josip Gracin
Justin Stringfellow
Ozgur C. Demir
Timothy Glover
Jay Lessert
Gavin McDonald
Noel Hunt
Mark Cohen
Mark Luntzel
Steve Wills
ltiu
Broun, Bevan
Steve Mickeler
Hendrik Visage
Michael Covi
Balasundram P. AMAVASAI
Roy Culley
Neill, Mark
David Evans
Rich Kulawiec
Eduardo Sanchez M.
Glass, David


> I have a client who would like to put Linux on his 
> Sun Ultra 1 (sun4u) system (NOT my recommendation).
> 
> Can anyone share their experiences with this? I'm
> most familiar with Redhat, so that's probably what
> we'd use.
> 
> Dave Foster


   << All opinions expressed are mine, not the University's >>

  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
   David Foster    National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research
    Programmer/Analyst     University of California, San Diego
    dfoster@ucsd.edu       Department of Neuroscience, Mail 0608
    (858) 534-7968         http://ncmir.ucsd.edu/
  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

   "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
   persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.  Therefore, all progress
   depends on the unreasonable."   -- George Bernard Shaw
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