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Linux At The BBC [updated]

Posted by timothy on from the mike-myers'-muse dept.

KobyBoy writes "Damion Yates wrote a very nice and informative article about how the BBC is using Linux. Linux is quite widespread in their in-house server environment, their development environment and of course in their production environment. He even mentions the excellent support Donald Becker (from Linux NIC card support fame) has provided him." Update: 09/24 21:54 GMT by T : Whoops -- this article is pretty old. Make that, the BBC is still using Linux.

5 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. Linux and FreeBSD by Quill_28 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Serious Question not trying to flame

    In the past 3 years I have really taking a liking to Unix(mainly Linux and FreeBSD). Now my understanding is that FreeBSD is a better server platform(or at least it once was) than Linux.

    My question: Why would the BBC use Linux over FreeBSD for their servers?
    Possible answers:

    1. Linux has hype
    2. Unix folks like using Linux as a desktop so it's a natural upgrade(Much like MS with NT)
    3. FreeBSD it hard to use?
    4 ....

    I am in no way trying to bash Linux or FreeBSD(I use Linux at work, FreeBSD at home) just curious.

    Please tell me don't flame saying one is better than the other unless it supports your argument about why Linux is being used more(or seems to be).

    1. Re:Linux and FreeBSD by Sloppy · · Score: 3, Interesting
      I've have twice been in a position where I would have been happy to use FreeBSD but ended up using Linux, and had a reason each time. They are tiny little things, but they made all the difference.
      1. On my "home server" I ended up using Linux instead of FreeBSD or OpenBSD, because the BSD drivers for x86 didn't allow serial ports to share an interrupt. At the time I needed three serial ports, so I had COM1 and COM3 using the same IRQ. Linux could handle it. FreeBSD and OpenBSD could not. I didn't feel like buying an expensive multi-serial card (e.g. a digiboard or something) at the time, so I went with Linux.

        So sad that it came down to something so trivial. Well, no, not really sad at all, since Linux works just fine. So what if it's a few percent slower and the init scripts are confusing? It works.

        I no longer have a need for so many serial ports on the same machine, so if I ever redo it, I might give *BSD a second chance.

      2. At work, I ended up replacing a perfectly working OpenBSD box (and I think FreeBSD would have had the same problem) with Linux, because of IPX and Netware. Linux can talk IPX, mount Netware fileservers, and internally route IPX to a DOSEMU session so that someone who has SSHed or dialed into the box and wants to run a DOS program that needs to access the Netware fileserver, can do it. OpenBSD (and presumably FreeBSD) couldn't do it.

        Hey, I needed the feature. And it made an expensive and flakey Citrix Winview box obsolete, so I was pretty happy about that. :-)

      There you have it: Two reasons that came up in real life.

      FWIW, I'm about to give OpenBSD a second chance at home on a very simple firewall project (up to now I have been defying "orthodox firewall doctrine" by running firewall and services on one machine), and I expect it to work out.

      --
      As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
  2. How about a "is using linux" article about by t0qer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    All us jobless M$ admins out in silicon valley?

    Fuck M$, after 7 years of supporting thier crappy O/S, fighting with the developers to use exchange instead of a popmail solution, after 7 years of fighting with the linux zealots on the merits of a M$ based system, i'm burnt out. This Sp1 stuff is complete crap.

    There's a lot more of me's out there than you think microsoft.

    From now on, instead of teaching people how to use outlook express i'll be teaching them how to use kmail, instead of IE i wil be showing them gecko, instead of teaching them how to use word i'll show them how to use open office.

    It wont just stop there either, i'll load their pc's up with emulators and roms galore, show their kids how to play games on something other than windows. I'll install quake and UT2003 for those that buy it.

    Microsft really fucked up by cutting out the people that for years was the undermining support for preaching their products. I no longer wish to be a microsoft whore. I remember several times having to frantically dig out NT40 CAL's just to be sure we had enough licenses so someone could save a file on a server. What utter nonsense and I was a nincompoop for doing it.

    You pissed off one little jobless NT admin M$, and i'm sure there is many more. Granted this comment doesn't get modded into oblivion, perhaps the other /. readers will get the point and follow suit.

    Your days are numbered bill.

  3. What this story really should have been about: by 7-Vodka · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Where are the BBC's ogg vorbis streams?

    They were invaluable to me, worked better than anything else. It must have been a successful trial.

    So why aren't they up permanently? Why can't I listen to my favourite DJs every weekend on the essential mix?

    --

    Liberty.

  4. Re:Quite an old article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I worked in the NT server development team for the BBC for four years and this isnt entirely true.

    They may use Linux heavily the R&D but when your talking internal DNS, were talking a Windows 2000 AD here, far far more DNS servers running Windows 2000 AD than Linux servers. Yes, Linux/Solaris are used for DHCP in BBC News but not entirely for the rest of the BBC.

    Yes, there is a nice big linux server farm being installed for BBC World Service/News but Linux is still not considered business critical by the security department (go figure). What is not mentioned in that the guys at R&D (Simon etc) are quite anti-M$ (and I dont blame them personally) will, in more than one way, ressemble what you would think an aging unix guru looks like. I would guess that a high 90s (percentage) of servers that the average BBC emplyee touches each day is NT either file and print or email.

    Linux is used in departments that cant get funding from either internal bean pushers or departments are the installing equipment outside of the BBC for testing/pioneering projects.

    While NT doesnt handle video streaming that well, the guys are RD have done a CORKER job on the video/audio streaming and when your talking 25000 streams, I think theyve done something that they should be very proud of. Here is where unix shows itself but as for heavy Linux use in the BBC, not for a very very long time :-(