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Linux-only POWER5 server From IBM

Posted by Hemos on from the making-the-rounds dept.

vaporland writes "This story from Infoworld.com talks about IBM's new low priced POWER5 based servers which will ship with Red Hat or Suse Linux, but not IBM's AIX. My question is, will it boot up Apple's OSX Server?"

14 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. Big blue.. tux? by qmchenry · · Score: 4, Informative

    IBM wants your apps. They'll give you a free laptop bag if you develop an app for Linux on their Power platform. I think the most disturbing thing about this is the picture of Tux in a blue tux. He looks like he's ready to sing in a lounge somewhere.

    But (somewhat) seriously, I could make room a four-way 64 bit Linux box on my desk. Chances are you've probably not seen my desk -- not an easy task.

    --
    Recipes for geeks -- no meatloaf, we promise.
    1. Re:Big blue.. tux? by TWX · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Chances are you've probably not seen my desk -- not an easy task."

      Ah, but have you seen your desk? If not in the past few years I'll be impressed.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  2. No. by wankledot · · Score: 5, Funny
    "My question is, will it boot up Apple's OSX Server?"

    No. Next question.

    --
    My sig is blank, I typed this by hand.
  3. No by Dynedain · · Score: 5, Informative

    My question is, will it boot up Apple's OSX Server?"

    No, because OSX does checks to look for Apple-specific hardware on boot.

    --
    I'm out of my mind right now, but feel free to leave a message.....
  4. Virtual Performance Hit by grunt107 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    With the supposed capacity to emulate 20 servers virtually, can these low/medium-end POWER5s actually perform adequately (comparably to the single-servers they are targeting)? That seems like a bit of a stretch.

    It is commendable, however, that IBM is maintaining its Linux focus (at least on the servers). Now if they'd start pushing the desk/laptop a little harder...

  5. Re:My answer is.... by Noksagt · · Score: 5, Funny
    Also, since when is 5k$ low cost?
    For something from Big Blue, this is a bargain basement price.
  6. What would be more interesting... by iamdrscience · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I would be much more interested in IBM dropping prices on a Power5 desktop. It seems unlikely, but I would buy that thing in a second.

  7. the better question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will it boot OS/2?

  8. Redhat on Power architecture? by Dr.+Evil · · Score: 4, Interesting

    When did IBM start using Redhat on the Power achitecture? It's been SuSE for a long time now hasn't it?

  9. Re:Why is redhat still using 2.4? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    because most of the features important to Redhat has already been backported to their "2.4"

    The thing is that Redhat isn't targetting the same market, as say Fedora or Suse.

    That's why they created Fedora, otherwise all you guys would be bitching about redhat using 2.4 on your desktops.

    They have their OS certified by many 3rd party makers of propriatory software, such as Oracle. Stuff like that takes a lot more work then just slapping 2.6 into a OS and making sure that everything works.

    Everything has to work the way Oracle (for example) expects it to work, and Oracle is only going to tell Redhat the minimal it is needed to get it running, since it's closed source.

    Don't worry, Redhat isn't dropping behind, it's just that they've adopted a much more long term-style revision policy compared to other distros. When they switch to 2.6 it will be a relatively cutting edge version of 2.6.

    Which should be pretty soon. Also PPC developement is going to be falling a bit behind x86 developement due to the relative popularity of the different platforms.

  10. Re:Boot OSX Server? by greed · · Score: 5, Informative

    You're thinking of the old Mac Toolbox ROM from the Old World machines.

    On New World machines, they check for Apple-specific entries in the Open Firmware device map. There's a whole device tree that won't be present on a non-Apple machine.

    So, theoretically, if you could work up enough Forth to get the appropriate entries on a non-Apple machine, it should work....

    Another trick is that OS X only works with USB keyboards and mice, not with PS/2 devices. IBM pSeries machines still have PS/2 inputs. And RS-232 serial. And IEEE 1284 parallel. And video cards OS X has never heard of. And....

  11. Re:AIX limitations? by bluephone · · Score: 4, Funny
    " Is there anything on the silicon they would prevent me from installing AIX on it?"

    Sanity?

    An alternative, yet equally funny answer would have been "SCO?"

    --
    jX [ Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. - Einstein ]
  12. Re:Boot OSX Server? by Frymaster · · Score: 4, Informative
    Something tells me that booting up OS X Server on an XServe is going to be cheaper than these babies

    like the internet, for instance...

    the openpower 720, acording to the press so far, "starts" at $5000 for a 1.5 ghz model. that's one chip. no specs on ram or disk space or bus speed or whatnot.

    by comparison, $4000 will get you an xserve with dual 2 ghz g5s and a gig of ram.

    now, admittedly, that's a crappy set of comparison data... but for those who are willing to jump to a conclusion or two: apple wins on price/performance. big time.

    --

    2 1337 4 u!

  13. Re:My answer is.... by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why? You can get a 1U Sun system for under 1k$. A dual AMD 64 system comes in under 5K$ as well. I'm not saying that the IBM system isn't worth the money, just that it isn't "low cost".

    It appears that POWER5 wipes the floor with UltraSPARC IV. An 8-core POWER5 system has better performance (according to this benchmark) than a 16-core USIV system in every benchmark in which they are compared.

    --
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