From: C Hennessy (CP.Hennessy at domain iname.com)
Date: Thu 04 May 2000 - 21:26:52 IST
Hi all,
I am trying to get some info sheets together for the eXPO
next week. I know that I probably have some spelling mistakes in the
following, but MUCH more important than that is the fact that there
are many facts that I am not sure of - which I need your help for!
Also if you would like to suggest anything which I need to add, or
prefer that I would remove - do not hesitate in expressing your
opinion.
Especially please look at those things which you think that I may be
missing or have incorrect, and most especially the "?" marks :-)
I intend to put the following in slide format which we could print
and show as slides using [Star|K|Other?]Office.
Obviously suggestions for formatting are also welcome.
Please keep in mind that what I have written is aimed at manager types
rather than "normal" types :-)
Anyway enough of that - here is what I have so far :
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHY IS LINUX USEFUL FOR ME ?
***Linux : Business sense....
Built on proven technology
which other well know competitors are just trying to emulate
Internet and networks originally build around this technology
Security built-in from the begining for users and processes
Built with multiple users using the system at the same time
Shared libraries
Virus free
High availability
average uptime is ? weeks/months
normal use will not cause Linux to crash or reboot
Highly secure user system
Linux support can be had in 3 different ways
o free by using all the support groups on
the internet - FAQs, HOW-TOs, newsgroups
o by taking a support contract available
from many different organizations
o by having an inhouse expert
Turn around for bug fixing in days not months
- as there are thousands of developers contributing from
around the world ( estimate is over 10,000 developers/testers )
Graphical user interface on a par with Windows
No proprietor of Linux
Linux costs nothing to install and to use
no license needed
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***Linux : Current usage
31% market share of public Web sites ( and growing )
The next most popular OS has only 20 percent.
24% of all shipped servers in 1999 ( up from 15% in 1998 )
Linus is the only OS with growing market share.
?% of destop systems
?% of set-top boxes
Over 7.5 ??? million users world wine (this is from Microsofts page :-)
so I am sure that it is more than this now.
Strongly supported by the biggest software companies :
IBM, SAP, Oracle, Corel, Infomix, AOL/Netscape, ?????
Strongly supported by the biggest computer hardware companies :
IBM, Dell, Compaq, Gateway, HP, Intel, ....
In Ireland relied on by : unisom, ????
Current heavy duty applications as:
web server ( apache - which runs on 56% ? of all web servers )
mail servers
ftp servers
DNS servers
MS Windows file server
print servers
application servers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***Linux: Future usage:
forecasts of market share within 1 to 2 years ?
new technologies ? intel, transmeta, bluetooth,
availablity of expertise : college, hackers, ....
others ????
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***Linux : *Technical sense....
Source code available so ->
reconfiguration is always possible and is easy
fixing bugs or changing behaviour is always possible
Small kernel size and light processor usage
code base is just over 1.5 million lines of code
Strong multiprocessor support
Ability to read and write the most common file systems
NFS, MSDOS, Windows 2000?, Solaris, Apple Macintosh, AIX, OS2, ??
Ability to receive and send the most common LAN protocols
Ethernet, SMB, IPX, Wireless LAN, X25, LAPB, ISP protocols
Leading edge technology support
IrDA, USB, Fire-Wire, all levels of RAID, IPv6
Bleeding edge support
I20, Intels new processors, Transmeta chips, PDAs
Journalled file system support
Many OS's supporting Linux
PC Solaris, SCO, ? real-time OS's ?
Many platforms directly supported
Alpha, PowerPC, S/390, Sparc, X86, MIPS, ARM, M680x0
Many platforms indirectly supported
Palms, SGI, UltraSPARC, HPPA?, ..... others ???
Distributed/paralled/clustered computing very well supported
Beowolf, MOSIX, others ?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am not planning to include the following in the slides.
Sources:
(cd /usr/src/linux; menu xconfig) :-)
http://www.prenhall.com/developers_resource_series/linux/html/summar.html
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2560523,00.html
http://www.linux.org.uk/WhatIs.html
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/trial/schmal/III.htm
( this doc states that "Linux a viable alternative" )!! Can we use that ?
freshmeat.net
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