__/ [ nessuno@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ] on Friday 20 April 2007 18:19 \__
> On Apr 19, 6:22 pm, Roy Schestowitz <newsgro...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>> Concurrent's SIMulation Workbench To Offer An Integrated, Linux-based,
>> Real-Time Modeling Environment
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | "We specifically designed SIMulation Workbench for simulation
>> | engineers desiring a fully-integrated, Linux-based toolset
>> | compatible with popular 3rd party modeling software," said Ken
>> | Jackson, Vice-President of Concurrent Special Systems.
>> `----
>>
>> http://www.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=130132
>>
>> A lot of 3D programs indeed make use of Linux, or are moving quickly in
>> that direction. Even Maya has roots in UNIX.
>>
>> Related:
>>
>> Over 100 Additional Post-production Facilities Adopt Autodesk's Visual
>> Effects and Editing/Finishing Systems
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | In April 2006, Autodesk transitioned its visual effects and
>> | editing/finishing systems from SGI-based workstations to workstations
>> | running the Linux operating system.
>> |
>> | [...]
>> |
>> | "The migration of Autodesk systems to the Linux platform has been a
>> | great success," said Stig Gruman, Autodesk's Media & Entertainment
>> | vice president of systems. "This operating system allows Autodesk to
>> | take advantage of rapid, continuous improvements to commodity
>> | hardware components such as central processing units, graphics
>> | cards, and Infiniband networking technology."
>> `----
>>
>> http://www.kpth.com/home/6888347.html
>
> Developing and running engineering and scientific programs on Linux is
> just a no-brainer, it seems to me, unless you need heavy iron (and
> then Linux parallel clusters are interesting). This is a rarely
> mentioned benefit of Linux, but it strikes me all the time: In Linux
> changes are made for technical reasons, that is, to improve the
> efficiency or expand the function of the OS, or to conform to emerging
> standards. For example, the change from ascii to unicode or from
> ipchains to iptables. In Windows, on the other hand, changes are
> frequently introduced for marketing reasons only, to screw the
> competition, to lock out competing standards, to find a way of making
> customers pay for extra features, to install DRM at the behest of
> Hollywood, etc. Not to mention the hassle of forced upgrades,
> activation requirements, record keeping to keep the BSA off your back,
> legal obstacles to changing the hardware or copying the OS, etc etc.
> In other words, developing and maintaining engineering software for a
> period of time, across OS upgrades, should be much easier in Linux
> than in Windows.
>
> Plus scientists and engineers are the type of people who want to know
> how things work inside, they want to be able to open up the hood and
> take a look for themselves.
This reminded me of an article I had spotted the other day (it's purely
technical, so not much point in posting it to COLA). SGI, which uses Linux
for HPC, has complained about a scalability issue in the kernel and this
apparently got mended. The hackers also rework the scheduler in kernel, for
various reasons whose root is probably /not/ desktop Linux.
While Microsoft makes strides -- however small -- on protecting the kernel
for desktop use, Linux thinks big. Much bigger. Some prominent people
observe Google's growth and the move to the Web, arguing that half a dozen
franken-computers (servers) can serve a lot of the world. Microsoft has just
built a datacentre the size of 6 football fields, but if it intends to run
Windows on these, keep your hopes down. A lot of heat dissipation
(environment weeps), but not much in return (just look at MSN, Live, or
whatever they call it today).
Based on what I've heard about Windows in supercomputing (we tried it here),
it's an early alpha at best. It's almost as though Microsoft doesn't even
know if it's ever going to be embraced. Last month I read about one computer
among the world's top 500 getting Windows installed. It flopped. That
machine got its Linux back and I think it speaks volumes, given the fact
that Microsoft 'sponsors' such moves for PR purposes (they gave it to us for
free!). It does the same with Web hosts. Don't forget their little
'stat-tweak deal' with GoDaddy. They don't play by the rules. They try to
embellish reports and then spend a fortune sending a weird message. Recall
Vista's channel-stuffing fiasco. They did the same thing with XBox360, based
on what I've read. Money buys a lot of deception.
--
~~ With kind regards
Roy S. Schestowitz | WARNING: /dev/null running out of space
http://Schestowitz.com | RHAT Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
3:05am up 6 days 2:33, 4 users, load average: 0.28, 0.84, 1.00
http://iuron.com - Open Source knowledge engine project
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