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Tried to buy a Dell w/ Linux a month ago by unquiet · 2000-06-20 12:33 · Score: 1 · on Dell & IBM Both Shipping Linux

I had heard months ago that Dell was installing Linux, and I know they have a good rep for quality. I wanted to be a Dell customer.

About a month ago, I went to www.dell.com/linux/. They had a list of their hardware that was compat, and a link (something like) "click here to configure a computer with Linux" ... which took me to the regular MS-based configurators! I went all over their site, trying to figure out how to buy a preconfigured Linux system without talking to a salesperson, and couldn't. Maybe it was there somewhere, but I didn't see it.

So I ordered from VA Linux, and I'm happy as a pig in shit -- especially since I just configured a Dell as close as I could to my new VALinux, and Dell is a lot more expensive.

(No, I don't work for, nor am I being paid by VALinux for this referral. I'm just a satisfied customer.)

hmm.. by Zurk · 2000-06-15 07:42 · Score: 1 · on Cases for Multiple Single Board Computers?

This of course is what youre looking for. Of course a rack wil do nicely too.

Some questions answered and some you haven't asked by chrisd · 2000-05-25 23:14 · Score: 4 · on Linux IA-64 Resource Portal

Hi All, I wanted to note some things for developers interested in using this service. First, since sourceforge only caters to OSS projects, it is limited to OSS only.

I did want to go over the NDA that you have to click through to use the service. Why the NDA? Intel is letting us use IA-64 engineering samples for the compile farm and they don't think that any public benchmarking done on engineering samples is fair. We agreed with them and wanted to see developers get thier hands on a working sample early. You're welcome to disagree, but we wanted to give a heads up to people, so be sure to read the NDA.

Intel has been pretty cool about this, I am pretty happy to see the GPL liberally sprinkled around an Intel legal document.

Some points from the NDA (most of the NDA is Intel covering its butt, limitation of liabilities and such):

In paragraph 3 Intel says the following (and this applies to paragraph 5,8 as well):

"You may not reverse engineer, decompile, license or disassemble portions of any Intel Software provided in object code form."
The only code that is from Intel in object code form is the BIOS and motherboard controller firmware. There is no other object code on the system. The IA-64 Linux kernel is completely open and has been out of NDA and licensed under the GPL since February.

Paragraph 4 is the Benchmarking Clause.

Paragraph 13, this is a tricky thing, they retain the right to receive activity logs of the compile farm, this is so they can verify for Paragraph 4. They are only able to request logs pertaining to the Compile Farm, not any other sections of the site.

Finally we ask for a brief description of the work you want to perform, this is because we (VA/Sourceforge) may have to throttle usage based on project importance. The persons judging this is Eric Sindelar here at VA. We really don't think we'll have to throttle usage, but we want to have the info available to do so if in fact we need to. As of this writing we already have 30 requests to use the service, so it shouldn't be all that necessary.

That is the overview that we've come up with, we hope that this will go a long way in finding out any IA-64 issues that your code may have. This will also be good for checking the IA-64 Linux Kernel out in real world conditions. If you have any other questions, pose them here and we'll answer them, or email me directly

Chris DiBona
VA Linux Systems

--
Grant Chair, Linux Int.
Pres, SVLUG

Re:lockin by yerricde · 2000-05-19 23:08 · Score: 2 · on Should We Be Wary Of Free-Beer Software?

Who installed all that "free" software? How long did it take?

Any monkey can install some of the newer distros.

Who retrained all the users to use a new O/S they aren't familiar with?

Nobody, because KDE is enough of a Windows clone that most users don't care.

How long did that take and how much did that lost productivity cost?

Very little.

Who handles the support questions when the software doesn't work (it sure isn't the "manufacturer" now, is it?)

<disclaimer content="they're not paying me for this plug"> VA Linux Systems or Penguin Computing. They sold you the workstations; they support the workstations. </disclaimer>

Re:Debian on VA by macbert · 2000-05-18 05:03 · Score: 1 · on Introducing The New Slashdot Setup

Isn't debian the distribution that VA and O'Reilly put in a box and sold a little while ago. It was packaged with OReilly's debian book. A $34.95 value in a $19.99 box. I assumed that they (VA) would be offering it as an option. Does anyone know if they have any plans on selling a shrinkwrapped version after potato goes current?

Debian from VA
=================
macbert@hcity.net
http://www.hcity.net/mac

Re:Give them hell! by war2k1 · 2000-05-10 21:50 · Score: 1 · on Microsoft Asks Slashdot To Remove Readers' Posts

hear, hear. I say they go for it. That is, so long as they have support. Then they'd be nearly unstoppable!

Hey everyone... by chrisd · 2000-05-08 22:45 · Score: 5 · on SourceForge Fails To Forge Source?

Hey,

First off, please read Mark Stone's post above regarding the web/asp issues and the gpl, they are -very- important. This represents one of the biggest problems for us (by us I mean all of us) right now. That said, we do releases based on the gpl every couple of months, so I'm fine with that.

While I understand the frustration the AC felt with the patch and documentation systems (more on this later) the AC should realize that when a group does work on an open souce project many people choose to go the route of tarballs every few months. You may not like this method, I don't. I asked myself last week why the cvs tree wasn't public, and while I did not agree with the SF team, the fact is, since they have tarballs coming out often (and I tell you, every two or three months is a completely reasonable interval) I'm not going to tell them how to run thier project. Any more than I would tell mandrake or raster how to run enlightenment.

It sounds awful, and counter intuitive, but many of the OSS worlds best projects are run with an iron fist without external cvs servers. Not that I wish to equate SF with the importance of the Kernel, but when was the last time anyone saw a cvs server from Linus?

Now, the patches and the rest, I'll take a look at what's up and see that they pay greater attention to them, but again, a few procedural mistakes in the early stages of an OSS project is common and forgivable.

So what I'm trying to say in a nutshell is, if SF is only released every three months, and if they choose to completely ignore outside help, that's fine, that's a choice they are making. I don't think it's the most efficient, but it's thier choice to make and I'm not going to interfere with how they practice what so many others don't even have the courage to preach.

Anyhow, if anyone would like to contact me personally about this, please email me at chris@valinux.com (or chris@dibona.com).

One last thing, I can't stress enough the importance of Mark's post. IF you didn't read it , you should. The GPL as written basically allows people to write an ASP like SF and put it out under the GPL. At that point, another person can take the code and set up thier own public SF, which is fine, but any changes they make don't have to be redisributed, which is not. This is a -big- problem, and if the GPL is not fixed, there will need to be a new licence made to address it. We'd rather just use a GPL that covers this contingincy. I'm of the opinion that a clause in the next version of the GPL that says that "public distribution as defined includes use on a public web site" thereby introducing the redistribution requirements for such uses, but I'm not sure that this sort of language will work to promote GPL'd software in the right way.

Anyhow, any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Chris DiBona
VA Linux Systems
--
Grant Chair, Linux Int.
Pres, SVLUG

Re:terraserver doesn't lend itself to mirroring by Cramer · 2000-04-19 10:14 · Score: 1 · on Area 51 Satellite Images

Oh, it's noticable -- even to the board of directors -- assuming you have time to look up/around you. Some of those that stayed were offered a substantial bonus to stay.

As you haven't given a name (I get three guesses, right? :-)) I don't know if you were around for whatever storm it was that proved Netscape + an SGI Challenge makes a bad web server (chris and I had both tweaked the holy hell out of that thing.) WRAL-TV brought over one of the VA Research boxes (my recommendation) and installed it. In the first 15 minutes, it served 300,000 pages using a 100% stock Redhat installation. After proper configuration -- which I will refer to as "magic" -- it was serving 300,000 pages per minute. I had nothing to do with what they installed in Server City. [The only problems I know of for the stuff in S.C. was due to the network hardware not the web server hardware.]

What "load"? It's been turned off or blocked all week.

all should be open by jbarnett · 2000-04-18 21:10 · Score: 1 · on Caldera CEO Says Linux Is Proprietary

All software should be open under a GPL or simpler license.

For the student, geeks and computer sciences that have to actucally work with the source code/software it is 100 times easier if the code is freely (as in speech) avaiable.

For the commerical blood suckers they should fight and make money on terms of good software/support and not on marketing and a huge amount of lawyers.

I am sorry, but I don't see ANY reason that software should be closed. What vaule does closed software have? less than nothing

Just because closed software has the ability to make immoral and unethical money though slezzy business practices, doesn't mean it is right. Business can make money though open source software and services, but the companies will have to work 100 times as hard, and compete based on product/service rather than lawyers/marketing.

Ohh you can see the rant building up in his eyes, lets get out of here, it is about to go off

wrong - the stock market pays most of our salaries by zzzeek · 2000-04-15 22:50 · Score: 2 · on Tech Stocks Tumble

The biggest deal in the world these days has been the insane amounts of cash being generated by tech stocks, funding tens of thousands of startups, internet divisions of large corporations, everything to do with the internet, including the new success of our beloved Linux and BSD OSes and the long awaited stumbling of Microsoft. If the condition of the stock market changes then the nature of the entire technology profession as a whole will change as well. Its certainly a much more pertinent story to all our lives than things like this.

The obvious conflict of interest is the significant monetary connection that exists between the editors and writers of Slashdot.org and their corporate owners, VA Linux. And CmdrTaco's rant right on the front page is the greatest example I have ever seen of abusing a prominent and important public platform to whine about a personal situation that is his own fault anyway, and it can only further tarnish the image of Slashdot in the eyes of the greater technical and financial communities and hasten its journey towards complete irrelevance.

VA Linux in Europe - YES. by PMcGovern · 2000-04-15 00:41 · Score: 1 · on VA Hardware Support in Southern Europe?

VA Linux is currently opening up offices and setting up partnerships all over Europe -- including Southern Europe. Yes, we do have a representative in Spain/Portugal that can be of assistance. Please send a message to snaarding@valinux.com and we will help you out.

VA Linux in Europe - YES. by PMcGovern · 2000-04-15 00:41 · Score: 1 · on VA Hardware Support in Southern Europe?

VA Linux is currently opening up offices and setting up partnerships all over Europe -- including Southern Europe. Yes, we do have a representative in Spain/Portugal that can be of assistance. Please send a message to snaarding@valinux.com and we will help you out.

Re:Good first step by Gleef · 2000-04-11 23:25 · Score: 3 · on UPDATED: SGI B1 Linux Patches

True, Linux can never be B1 (or any level) certified itself (neither can NT be C2 certified, contrary to Microsoft's marketing). It can, however be B1 ready, with all the features needed to produce a B1-rated system. Then, VA Linux Systems or Penguin Computing can produce and sell a truly B1 (or C1, for that matter) certified system. That would be a very nice thing to happen.

As for A1, I don't think any modern operating system can reach that level. The proof requirements for A1 certification would be prohibitively expensive for anything but the most scaled down system.

----

In the interest of full disclosure... by Merk · 2000-03-29 09:22 · Score: 3 · on Geek Pride Hits Boston This Weekend

You guys might want to point out that it's presented by Andover.Net and VA Linux, who are the owners of Slashdot. I know, in this case it's something they're sponsoring, not something they're trying to promote and make money from -- but now that Slashdot is sponsored by the big boys, you guys should start putting a disclosure statement in things involving Slashdot ownership.

Btw, for those of you like me who have no hope of making it on such short notice, I saw this on the site:

The Festival is Distributed. If you can't physically make it to the Festival, connect to the website and watch the happenings. Or, get your local Net cafe to join up and throw their own fling. All they have to do is let us know and they're in. It would be kinda cool if geeks from all over this little old world of ours could take a couple days off to celebrate. What the hell!

IndyBox is still better by Skapare · 2000-03-07 02:34 · Score: 1 · on SourceForge Announces Compile Farm

Actually, I'd love to buy from VA Linux, but I also want, if I stop building my own and buying pre-built machines, to get all my needs from one source. Unfortunately, VA Linux doesn't have enough of a product line to suit my needs, yet. I want something from VA Linux that competes with IndyBox's 1U servers.

IndyBox is still better by Skapare · 2000-03-07 02:34 · Score: 1 · on SourceForge Announces Compile Farm

Actually, I'd love to buy from VA Linux, but I also want, if I stop building my own and buying pre-built machines, to get all my needs from one source. Unfortunately, VA Linux doesn't have enough of a product line to suit my needs, yet. I want something from VA Linux that competes with IndyBox's 1U servers.

IndyBox is still better by Skapare · 2000-03-07 02:34 · Score: 1 · on SourceForge Announces Compile Farm

Actually, I'd love to buy from VA Linux, but I also want, if I stop building my own and buying pre-built machines, to get all my needs from one source. Unfortunately, VA Linux doesn't have enough of a product line to suit my needs, yet. I want something from VA Linux that competes with IndyBox's 1U servers.

Linux Has Corporate Representation Now Though by stab · 2000-02-28 17:36 · Score: 2 · on USB Forum Becomes Too Greedy?

Although it smacks of corporate greediness, and it is apparent that Linux developers who work for free can't join the members list, why can't the corporate Linux companies, such as Red Hat, Caldera or VA Linux systems join, and make their copies of the specifications available to developers. There may be copyright issues, but if the USB developers work "for" one of these companies, then surely there is no problem. The end-result would still be GPLed, and available to all, it's just a nominal shift in who you are working for.

Linux has a number of high-profile companies now, and it's in their interests to ensure the best hardware compatibility for their distributions. $2500 is a small price to pay for that from their point of view, surely.

-anil-

Re:VC's dump most IPO shares on FIRST DAY by Kit+Cosper · 2000-02-26 01:07 · Score: 2 · on Caldera Prices Its IPO

Actually this is not at all true.

All early investors and employees are bound by a lockup agreement. The underwriters demand
this as a condition of their participation in the IPO.

This keeps the market from being flooded from the outset.

Generally the VC firms pass their stock back to the investors in the VC funds, who tend to hold
things long-term. The initial activity on an IPO is simply people flipping the stock back and forth
trying to maximize their gain.

Red Hat's lockup period just ended, which is a likely contributor to the recent slide from the mid 90's
to the 68.5 that it closed at yesterday. VA just released earnings last week that were misinterpreted
on several fronts. You can see the details on the investor relations page.

The stock market is a complex beast and doesn't lend itself to simple or absolute explainations.

--Kit

Re:VA / Slash-dot Giveaway NOT AGAIN!!! by Kit+Cosper · 2000-02-25 01:13 · Score: 1 · on On Preservation of Digital Information

Here we go again....

This is not an official post from Larry.

There isn't a Slashdot Giveaway

This is a bored individual who enjoys misleading people and generating unnecessary email.

Official VA promotions will always be posted on the VA Linux website.

Sorry for the confusion that has been created.

--Kit

VA / Slash-dot Giveaway by VA+Linux+Systems · 2000-02-23 23:10 · Score: 0 · on On Preservation of Digital Information

As promised, VA Linux Systems will for a limited time be offering special deals on hot VA Linux computers to Slash-dot readers.

To kick off the promotional offers, we're having a contest drawing on March 1st. The winner will receive a VA Linux Systems StartX SP Workstation with a blazing 400MHz Intel(TM) Celeron© processer, (approx $908.00 value)!

Five second place winners will receive a Linux / Slash-dot gift pack, including a "Debian GNU/Linux Box Set" and "Slash-dot" t-shirt (as seen on Copyleft.net), an estimated $40 value.

Remember, this contest is only open to registered Slash-dot users. Look below for instructions on how to enter.

In other news:

Slash-dot will most likely be "revamped" with a new look and feel before the end of the year. A series of polls will allow registered Slash-dot users to vote for the best-loved features.
Rob Malda, also known as Commander Taco, will be writing for a new column on the VA Linux web site where prominent figures in the Open - Source / Linux Community will bring you the latest news and insights on this hot new technlology. Our premier issue will feature an interview with Ian Murdock, creator of the popular Debian Linux distribution.

I must apologize for referring to Mr. Malda as "Captain Taco" in previous statements. I received over a dozen letters from Slash-dotters like yourselves informing me of my mistake, which brings me to this point: I encourage you to let me know your opinions (and correct me if I misspeak). Within a week a special e-mail address will be set up for this purpose. Only together can we make VA / Andover.net successful. Each and every one of you is part of the team.

Please look for my new weekly newsletter, starting on February 29th!

Sincerely,

Larry M. Augustin
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
VA Linux Systems

***"VA / Slash-dot Giveaway" Contest Instructions and Rules

How to enter: The "VA / Slash-dot Giveaway" contest (hereafter referred to as the Contest) is open to all registered Slash-dot users. To enter, send one e-mail to "service@valinux.com" with this text exactly in the subject (without the quotes): "SLASHDOT GIVEAWAY". The first line of the message body must be your registered Slash-dot username. Notification of winnings will be sent the e-mail address on file in your Slash-dot user profile. You will not receive a confirmation e-mail when you enter. Please do not send multilple entries, as they will be discarded, and e-mail abuse ("spamming") may be grounds from Contest disqualification and/or removal of your ID from Slash-dot.

Prize drawing: Winners will be drawn from all e-mails received up until the cutoff date of 1 March 2000 at 00:00UTC. Winners are randomly chosen using HotPicker(TM) software. Winners will be notified of their status by 5 March 2000 by e-mail containing a confirmation claim number. Prizes must be claimed by 31 March 2000.

Prizes: There is one (1) "First place" prize consisting of one (1) "VA Linux Systems StartX SP Linux Workstation" with 400MHZ Intel Celeron processor, 64MB RAM, 6.4GB hard drive, and the VA Linux OS v.6.0 Software Kit. A 17" monitor, keyboard, and mouse are included. Five (5) "Second place" winners will receive a "Linux / Slash-dot gift pack" containing: one (1) Debian GNU / Linux software box set and one (1) Copyleft "Slash-dot" t-shirt. Estimated value of "First place" prize is $908.00**. Estimated value of "Second place" prize is $40.00**.

Disclaimer: VA Linux Systems assumes no liability for e-mail contest entries not received. The Contest is not open to employees of VA Linux Systems and Andover.net, or their immediate relatives. VA Linux Systems reserves the right to reward alternate prizes of equal or greater value, defined by the value estimate stated above.

** All values are in US dollars and do not include state tax and shipping charges.

VA / Slash-dot Giveaway by VA+Linux+Systems · 2000-02-23 23:10 · Score: 0 · on On Preservation of Digital Information

As promised, VA Linux Systems will for a limited time be offering special deals on hot VA Linux computers to Slash-dot readers.

To kick off the promotional offers, we're having a contest drawing on March 1st. The winner will receive a VA Linux Systems StartX SP Workstation with a blazing 400MHz Intel(TM) Celeron© processer, (approx $908.00 value)!

Five second place winners will receive a Linux / Slash-dot gift pack, including a "Debian GNU/Linux Box Set" and "Slash-dot" t-shirt (as seen on Copyleft.net), an estimated $40 value.

Remember, this contest is only open to registered Slash-dot users. Look below for instructions on how to enter.

In other news:

Slash-dot will most likely be "revamped" with a new look and feel before the end of the year. A series of polls will allow registered Slash-dot users to vote for the best-loved features.
Rob Malda, also known as Commander Taco, will be writing for a new column on the VA Linux web site where prominent figures in the Open - Source / Linux Community will bring you the latest news and insights on this hot new technlology. Our premier issue will feature an interview with Ian Murdock, creator of the popular Debian Linux distribution.