Re: Linux on the O2

[alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk (Alan Cox)]

> I'm guessing that they're looking at this as if an Indy running Linux
> won't really be that competetive with the O2s runnning IRIX, which I can
> almost understand. 

Ah conspiracy theories abound. It could just be they didnt want anyone
cloning their hardware

> I realize that SGI has a vested interest in seeing IRIX succeed, and IRIX
> is probably (it hurts to say this) better than Linux when running 128 (or
> soon 4096) CPUs. Linux however, is great lightweight OS for workstations

Right now Linux scales to about 2-3 CPU's for generic stuff in 2.1.x maybe
4 if the hardware is sane (eg Ultrasparc). To go to 128-4096 CPU's really
involves changing the fundamental rules and building a sort of very tightly
interlinked multicomputer - AP1000+ on steroids as it were. There is some
interest in this from various people, notably in sticking 9 or 10 EBSA285
Digital strongarm boards in a PCI backplane and using PCI bus as the 
backbone network.

Alan