On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 12:09 PM, Paul Raulerson <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

<snip>

> The one big problem with Linux is that once you get way down under the
> covers, it just isn't very efficient.
> MPE, VM, ZOS, etc. all blow away Linux in terms of efficiency and the way
> they use the hardware,
> and yet the hardware is so darn fast, you don't really notice how
> inefficient Linux really is.


If you really "get way down under the covers", you would know that Linux can
be made very efficient on any work load you can think of!  This can be real
time control system, a network router, a desktop, any size server, or a
super computer.  There are multiple processes and I/O schedulers that are
included in the "official" kernel and others from non-official sources.  The
kernel, and the rest of the operating system can be compiled down to the
last bit, using only the drivers that you need and using only the operating
system and application features that you want (see Gentoo Linux).

To state "MPE, VM, ZOS, etc. all blow away Linux in terms of efficiency and
the way they use the hardware" is not only unsubstantiated by any credible
tests that I am aware of, but also shows a lack of low level operating
system knowledge.  MPE, VM, and z/OS are written for a single hardware
architecture families by their manufacturers.  VM isn't even an operating
system, rather a hypervisor to run other operating systems, CP/CMS in
particular.  Both MPE and z/OS do not have GUIs and have very limited driver
support.  When you strip away all of the GUIs and myriad device drivers
unneeded for any sized server from Linux,  and then compile optimizing for a
particular CPU, you have a very lean-and-mean operating system.

Bottom line is that Linux is as efficient as you (KNOW HOW TO) make it.
Your statements sound like they came from a Microsoft shill claiming that
the sky will fall, if you use Linux.

Not that I am complaining mind you, Linux is amazing. But how fast the
> hardware is is knock-your-socks-off
> amazing. :)


Linux does not need fast hardware to run and run well.  Most home wireless
routers and modems (DSL and cable) run Linux on very anemic hardware.  Yet,
Linux is the choice to run the very fastest supercomputer in the world,
Roadrunner (http://www.top500.org/system/9707), an IBM machine, yet IBM uses
Linux over their own operating systems (granted, IBM operating systems are
written for and optimized for mainframe architecture, not supercomputer
architecture).  IBM mainframes also run a considerable amount of Linux (
http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/os/linux/ and http://tinyurl.com/b2kpeq).

If Linux doesn't run efficiently on any architecture, you can blame the
person installing it, not the Linux kernel, nor operating system built
around it.

I don't know why I bother anymore.

Peter

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