Re: [cobalt-users] Sun Solaris??? Bad Business Decision

["Arsalan Mahmud" <arsalan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I just have one question and it isn't hard at all :)

If we didn't get raq's mainly because we won't have to waste time
configuring the dame thing why did we get them ? Was it for their fancy
casing ? or just to look good in a dark room ? we could have gotten the gui
which other developers offer customized in a prices less then "one" raq!


Arsalan Mahmud
Nexus Technologies

----- Original Message -----
From: "Graeme Fowler" <graeme.f@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 3:06 PM
Subject: Re: [cobalt-users] Sun Solaris??? Bad Business Decision


> Bill Micke wrote:
>
> > If Sun puts Solaris on the RaQs, they can kiss my... er,  I mean, I
> will
> > not purchase any more RaQs.
>
> <snip massively top-posted message which wasn't even relevant>
>
> I've been following this thread [1] since the start. I have to ask a
> question:
>
> Apart from the one or two people who have already expressed this, just
> how many people on this list have actually *used* Solaris? [Rhetorical
> question so don't go replying to it].
>
> I have used Solaris on both Sun and Intel hardware. Apart from the usual
> gripes I have with any operating system (hidden gotchas in things like
> open file limits, process limits and the like - which we don't often see
> mentioned on this list) I couldn't really complain. In fact under
> certain conditions I prefer Solaris on SPARC, but I'll keep quiet about
> that :)
>
> The syntax for the shell is different, sure, but then it's a pure System
> V based Unix rather than a hodge-podge of BSD/SysV semantics [2].
>
> Those of us on the list who are capable of doing 'behind-the-scenes'
> stuff with the CobaltOS CLI will notice some differences, but the
> arguments about software availability become null and void when you
> realise that just about all GNU software and other open-source scheme
> software will compile under Solaris. I have personally setup Apache,
> MySQL, PHP, replacements for Sendmail (Exim & Qmail), webmail packages,
> Apache modules (mod_ssl, mod_perl and the like) under both Intel and
> SPARC Solaris without any problems at all. Well, I did have to compile
> them ;-) and there's the big difference - there is simply not the
> precompiled package base for Solaris.
> (Maybe if Sun used its' marketing weight a little there would be, but I
> doubt it.)
>
> Sun would be stoopid if it decided to cease supporting the entire
> current Cobalt product line *unless* it dropped things sequentially. Who
> expects to get full support for (say) a RaQ2 in five years time? That's
> where lists like this come in useful - we will continue to help out and
> support hardware and software which is long-since obsolete since we have
> a vested interest in doing so. We after all own and use some of it.
>
> IMHO those with no experience of Solaris should maybe go try it out
> before slagging it off. You would after all not call a similar car to
> the one you own bad just because you haven't driven it...
>
> If Cobalt/Sun decide to make the RaQ5 run Solaris, I doubt it will
> affect many of us very much with the exception of 'add-on' software
> packages. Some of the packages will probably get generated by members of
> this list - which might mean they get tested better in the first place,
> and wouldn't be a bonus!
>
> And bear in mind that in order to convert the entire product line to
> Solaris, Sun would have to make Cobalt's entire development and support
> team redundant; or at the very least send them on Solaris retraining
> courses. I wouldn't think that's financially (or politically!)
> acceptable, not even for a company as large as Sun.
>
> [1] OK, the original thread mutated into this one
> [2] If you don't know what this means, look up the history of Unix on
> the web. It all came out of competition, unsurprisingly.
>
> Shall we wait until a real announcement before getting hot under the
> collar? I know I will.
>
> Graeme
>
> --
> Graeme Fowler
> System Administrator
> WebFusion Internet Solutions
>
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