Event
Summary
[Source: Red Hat, CNET, et al.] November 27, 2000
Red Hat Inc. announced the release of Red Hat Alpha
Deluxe, its Linux version that will run on computers powered by
Compaq Computer Corporation's "Alpha" processor. Compaq
will pre-install Alpha Deluxe on its AlphaServer DS and
ES lines, as well as its Alpha-based workstations. In addition
to being customized for Alpha, it will utilize the GNOME interface, and
will ship with 800 additional programs.
Red
Hat has also announced that it will no longer support Sun Microsystems'
Sparc processor, beginning with Version 7, Red Hat's most recent
release of Linux. According to Red Hat, there was insufficient demand
for Sparc-based Linux.
Red
Hat will continue to provide an unsupported Sparc edition in its "Rawhide"
developer version, and the company could restart the Sparc version if
demand picks up. The company also will continue to support the earlier
Sparc versions of its software, she said.
Market
Impact
In
the grand scheme of things, losing Linux-on-Sparc compatibility is not
that big a deal - the market just wasn't there. Sun's history shows it
has marginal interest at best in anything other than Solaris-on-Sparc,
witness their lackluster support of Solaris-on-Intel. But with Sun's recent
acquisition of Cobalt Networks, one would think that they
had become slightly more attuned to Linux. Perhaps it is a case of good
intentions acted on too little and too late, but we tend to believe that
Sun will continue to be "Solaris first, last, and always", until Linux
takes over the world.
Red
Hat's Linux for Alpha has the potential of being a good thing for both
companies. Compaq's Linux support is relatively weak when compared to
IBM and Dell. However, we believe Compaq has realized that
the Alpha chip's probable mainstream future (if it exists) lies with Linux.
The other operating systems that Alpha supports, Compaq's OpenVMS
and Tru64 UNIX, are more appropriate for high-end servers,
and for some Alpha-based workstations.
User
Recommendations
Linux-on-Sparc customers are as rare as a new millenium, so that loss
will have little practical impact.
However,
Compaq has realized that the Alpha chip's probable mainstream future (if
it exists) lies with Linux. The other operating systems Alpha supports,
Compaq's OpenVMS and Tru64 UNIX, are more appropriate for high-end servers,
and for some Alpha-based workstations.
Users
who want low-end Linux servers should consider AlphaServers such as the
DS10/10L and DS20. (We really, really wanted to include the words "high
performance", but their current benchmarks are a little underwhelming).
Until Compaq makes a more concerted effort to exploit the low-end market
with Alpha's supposed high performance, we suggest potential customers
explore other Linux options as well.
Note
to Alpha supporters: If Compaq starts "kicking a little tail" with appropriate
published performance figures, we will delete the qualifier in the previous
sentence. However, until their benchmark figures focus more on SYSTEM
performance, and less on older CPU performance tests (viz. SPECint95,
SPECfp95), we'll take that bet. We understand that benchmarks are only
an indicator of performance - but how will customers know how great your
systems are if the only benchmarks to which they can refer have little,
if anything, to do with their intended application.
In
effect, there is minimal Alpha presence on the desktop. That leaves the
low-end server market as the means to improve volumes and thus lower system
cost. That implies a "natural" fit between Linux and small AlphaServers.