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SGI Introduces New 1400L Linux Server
Durinia writes "Here is the official press release from SGI about their new Linux server. It also looks like they've struck a deal with Red Hat.
" SGI continues its support (and perhaps its last hope) with Linux-do you folks think this will be enough to restore them?
I work with SGIs too at my visual effects company, we have 10 SGIs and two Linux boxes, an Intel and an Alpha.
SGIs have been the best machines to get the job done for at least the last 12 years, they were fast, easy to program, reasonably well engineered boxes that came from a company committed to graphics.
Still, I expect to be running on Linux very soon on all of our machines. I'm sure that the previous author will acknowledge that machines don't live very long in the FX business, any more than they do anywhere else. The particular boxes that I have will become uncompetitive in a year or so, and we'll need to buy something else.
Those will certainly be Linux boxes. If they could be SGI Linux boxes, that'd be great. But to assume that you will be running IRIX in the future is optimistic, if not foolhardy. Diversifying into another (somewhat more common) operating system is prudent.
The biggest reason that people aren't going to want to move away from IRIX is, of course, the proprietary animation software that they have for those old boxes. One would hope that these tools will be ported to Linux in the not-to-distant future; I'm sure that we'll hear more about that at Siggraph next week. All of the big software companies that I've talked to at least claim to be porting.
I've found that porting an SGI OpenGL application to Linux to be almost trivial. Sadly, I've written a bunch of IRIS GL programs, too, and they are much more of a challenge. But, I should be done soon, and we'll be ready for whatever happens.
[I'm giving away Linux version of some of our most popular programs, at least for the next year. Check them out at http://www.hammerhead.com/linux/linux.html ]
I love Mondays. On a Monday, anything is possible.
Did anyone else see this. is this SGI Linux Environment an add on package. is it only administration tools and the like, or does it consist of kernel patches, new file systems (XFS anyone). If it is includes kernel patches, where are they, and what do they do. Due to the GPL, unless they are a module, they need to be publicaly available.
Which is what Inprise did, when they finally went back to having Borland.
Sad, but true.
Will in Seattle
The R12K is out now, and has been for some time. I think IRIX 6.5.3 or 6.5.4 added support for them.
:(
There are R12K upgrades for existing Octanes and Origins.
Sadly, not for my poor Indigo2s.
-Jeff
When SGI adapts linux, they dont give up their real advantages: applications like those by alias|wavefront (owned by SGI), high-end graphics software/libs like OpenInventor, and of course SGI's experience with high-end graphics and supercomputers.
Irix will go under. I think nobody will seriously doubt that, and it seems like even in their niche they are loosing market share. So they only have the choice between WindowsNT and Linux. And the Linux is not only less crowded market, but also much closer to Irix, so they can port their software easier.
I dunno. But they do offer that sunpci thing for people that want/are forced to have NT. It's a complete PC that takes up to PCI slots in your sun box.
Intel transfer the difficult from Hadware to software, for get more power, programmer need more technology. -- chinaitn
I dunno. But they do offer that sunpci thing for people that want/are forced to have NT. It's a complete PC that takes up two PCI slots in your sun box.
Intel transfer the difficult from Hadware to software, for get more power, programmer need more technology. -- chinaitn
No doubt, but most whiners don't code and want something for free.
They are *nothing* like the Dell-does, just slapping Linux on a box without any donating anything to the fundamental Linux infrastructure.
SGI is supporting (largely) SAMBA, will be donating a journled filesystem, and probably lots of cool 3D stuff.
Mij
Well he should change it. The new icon is for these types of products.
Of course it seems SGI can't make up it's mind
for any great period of time anymore, perhaps
they'll change the logo back, in another back
pedaling attempt to appear in control.
Servers, Graphics, Insight! heh!
i've looked at the specs, and i can't see anything that differentiates this SGI from other IA32 servers.
/use/ linux on them.
eg, 800MB/s memory bandwidth - what happened to the fancy chipset?? Out of band management port: sounds like Compaq's Insight Management board to me. Hot swap everything: whoopie doo - everybody else has that aswell.
$8000 for a 'nothing special' single CPU and measly memory intel server??
Uhmm... I think i'll buy a Proliant or a Poweredge instead. Same specs except those guys have been in the IA32 server market for years and years, and a lot more breadth and experience in global support. And the prices are more reasonable aswell. No premium for the SGI name. (which isn't worth much now that the nice logo is gone).
SGI workstations are really nice though... but you still can't
I use Friend/Foe + mod-point modifiers as a karma/reputation system.
I would assume that they mean basically the same as Sun means when they talk about the Solaris Operating Enviroment, a distribution based on the processor. I think SGI using linux and Intel is a Good Thing. First off, XFS kernel support is going to be in the 2.4 kernel, SGI has said they're going to port several IRIX utilities and such to linux which will be a big boon for anyone running a server that needs powerful softqware. What makes this sweeter is they are going to be porting the software to x86 processors, while not all linux users use x86, many do. SGI now stands to make a much healthier profit on their performance workstations because they no longer have to spend beaucoup cash on MIPS chips for them and keep IRIX going which can get expensive. Now they can use other companies' software. I wish they would have picked a different distro, maybe SuSE (my personal favourite). But any distro is better than Windows so woohoo!
I'm a loner Dottie, a Rebel.
SGI is doing "the right thing" tm.
d /
d /patches/kanoj/index.html
They are shipping a modified version of RedHat
6.0 with fixes for nfs, nfs, tcp/ip and samba
performance. You can grab the entire distribution
they are shipping here:
ftp://oss.sgi.com/www/projects/linuxsgi/downloa
And this page has info on the status of all their
patches that they are trying to get into the
mainstream kernel.
ftp://oss.sgi.com/www/projects/linuxsgi/downloa
For more info on their opensource projects in general see here:
http://oss.sgi.com/projects/
SGI deserves to be applauded by the linux community, they have dedicated a serious amount of dollars and engineers to improving several of the major weakpoints in linux and they are giving everything back to the community.
Why does everyone always assume the worst?
p atches/kanoj/index.html
d /
All of SGI's changes have been submitted
on the kernal dev lists and many of them have been
incorparated into the 2.3.x dev kernels. Others are still being looked at.
See ftp://oss.sgi.com/www/projects/linuxsgi/download/
for details and to grab the source to all thier patches.
You can grab the whole SGI linux distro as well:
ftp://oss.sgi.com/www/projects/linuxsgi/downloa
Ok, great, Linux on SGI. A free operating system on a $8,000 box. Putting the OS on these computers only begs the question, what will REALLY set SGI appart. The answer was at one time that you got highly reliable hardware using a highly realiable OS environment. Dispite what lots of people believe you can come very close with an NT box and a good server from Compaq or HP. SGI cannot afford to become another huge producer of a generic box distributing a generic Linux. They must prove to the world again that if you want to be stable, if you want to be fast, it you want flexability in the Internet world, only an SGI and Linux will do. It can't be about bandwagon jumping to save your ass, it has to be about creating a better product. That is SGI's legacy and if they want to survive it better be its future.
Oh, I thought Bill G bought it with his coffee money today.
;-)
Will in Seattle
SGI Continues Aggressive Nose-Dive Despite Linux Market
/PRNewswire/ -- In a desperate attemp to stop its aggressive drive into bankruptcy, SGI (NYSE: SGI) leapt upon the Linux bandwagon today with both feet. SGI announced the immediate availability of its new Intel® processor-based SGI 1400L server. The server is a standard SMP Intel box preloaded with the Red Hat® Linux® 6.0. SGI holds to the somewhat irrational hope that customers will see this as being somehow different from a Compaq Proliant, IBM NetFinity, HP NetServer or Dell PowerEdge server running Red Hat Linux.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 2
"The SGI 1400L server running SGI Linux Environment allows us to use the words 'paradigm', 'synergy', 'open source', 'high availability', 'data warehousing', 'win-win', 'proactive', 'scalable', 'total cost of ownership' and 'reliability' in the same sales brochure," said Jan Silverman, vice president of marketing, Computer Systems Business Unit, SGI. "Our marketing division is very happy about this and they hope to add the phrases 'price performance' and 'enterprise computing' before they're finished."
Like almost every other Intel based server in existence, the SGI 1400L ships with one to four 500 MHz Pentium® III Xeon(TM) processors with a selection of 512KB, 1MB or 2MB of secondary cache, up to 4GB of memory, seven PCI slots, six Ultra2 SCSI hot swap drive bays and redundant power supplies. The SGI 1400L is available in rack-mount or even a desktop configuration for those customers with specially reinforced desks.
"e-commerce, internet, web-centric, intranet!" blurted an SGI marketer unable to contain herself, "collaboration, messaging, network video streaming, proxy serving, security serving, scientific analysis, customization, reliability and did I mention e-commerce?"
"With the introduction of this Linux OS -- based server, SGI is also able to address more customer needs such as those of us who are too damn poor to afford proprietary Unixes and non-Intel chips," noted Shoeboy, a researcher investigating the impact of cannabis consumption on his code quality, "got any Fritos?"
SGI is committed to not going bankrupt and collapsing like a house of cards, and industry analysts have noted that this line of Linux servers appears to be their last hope.
NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to companies living or in the case of SGI, nearly dead is purely coincidental.
--Shoeboy
I only took a peek, there may have been more, but I found two jobs at SGI with the following description:
Linux Kernel Dev Engineer
Sorry to repeat, forgot the description.
Anyone know any kernel hackers who need a job?
They would be stupid to tell their win only customers, "No we don't support NT." Be glad that they are leading with Linux, following with NT. geach
What company exists besides VA Research that ships solely Linux boxes?
SGI is probably the most visible supporter of Linux yet, compared to say, Dell IBM and others.
They're moving in directions that hear customers asking for - first with NT boxes to combat the flood of animator moving away from their platform to Wintel. Then they tweak the boxes and/or Linux to and sell that to people desiring Linux systems.
Sun seems to be the only company that bids a customer farewell when they switch platforms.
Problem with forgoing NT and moving straight to Linux is that the apps aren't all there yet. It'd be suicide for them to drop NT and move into Linux... at least NT had professional 3d apps available when they moved there... By showing support for Linux, hopefully that'll mean that companies like Barco (do they still exist?), Alias etc... will see that there's sufficient demand to deliver ports of their products to the SGI Linux platform. I doubt that they'll do a full on "Linux" port however... Software for SGI's have for years been serialized so as to only run on one machine. I'm certain SGI provides unique hardware keys in their new machines. . . Oops! Did I just ramble?
No, it's CMIX. Most of you probably haven't heard of CMIX. It's a simple language for the processing and production of sound. It was written by a guy named Paul Lansky way back in the day, and the place where CMIX got its first real break was under the NeXTSTEP OS.
And we all know what happened to NeXTSTEP. It died. It died hard, to the point that just about the only people still using NeXTs were CMIX hackers.
So what happened then? A guy named Brad Garton (a former student of Paul Lansky; now currently a professor at the Columbia Computer Music Center) decided to port the entire CMIX source to another technically promising fledgling OS called IRIX.
And we all know what's happening to IRIX. It's on the way out. No one can use it for anything (partially because IRIX and network security are mutually exclusive terms).
And what have the CMIX people done now? They've ported CMIX to Linux, and several other promising operating systems! Run! Hide your favorite OS!
For those of you who couldn't tell, this is a joke.
-k
What is this first post stit? It seems that every single article on /. has some moron about three comments down saying "first post" first post up yo arse!
Fellowship 9/11
``The SGI 1400L server running SGI Linux Environment combines SGI's expertise in high-performance, scalable servers with the reduced cost and high reliability that is provided by an open source operating system,''
I know SGI is working closely with the OSS community on the MIPS version of Linux, but what is the SGI Linux Environment for an x86 based system?
It said it was Shipping with RedHat 6.0, so does this mean the SGI Linux Environment is nothing more then SGI techs per-installing RH 6.0 for the customer?
Never Heard of it, but then again I have bad hearing.
> At least Rob hasn't changed the SGI topic icon yet.
I wonder... does Rob know something we don't?
...and the time will have come. And the name shall be known... The Kylrathi Viper Clan.
Excuse me if I'm wrong, but Linux is far from ready for a 2048 processor box. Hopefully SGI will help that..
But I don't see Linux running on Cray's anytime soon personally. Too much specialized hardware, and don't you need _something_ to call your own?
-- Ace
I thought companies were not allowed to make announcements on strategic alliances after they file their S-1 and 25 days after the IPO. Am I wrong here?
to nitpick :
actually CMIX is a set of c library routines..not a full fledged language.
SGI is going to release a source loadable kernel
module with XFS support in "late summer"
according to their webpage here:
http://oss.sgi.com/projects/
Whether or not it makes it into 2.4 is up to the community.
I hope they port it to windoze soon
>Perhaps you have not read their business plan?
>Take a look. This is yet one step of a long, >thoughtfully laid out path.
Now that's silly, of course you think it's
going to look good. Publicly disclosed
business plans are PR, sale, and marketing.
Personally I'm excited about this. I've got a bunch of Linux boxes doing production stuff at work - and I hate the fact that it has to running on crappy compaq junk with lackluster support from them. SGI hardware is something that I can convince the powers that be is a good thing.
Sure, it may be bandwagon jumping, but SGI seriously needs a boost to it's slightly less then stellar hold on the market.
;-)
It's nice to see this happen though, another nice boost for Linux and I'd love to see some badass servers and maybe a little extra GPL'd code from SGI's ppl (please, please please)
They seem like their willing to give back to the community (in terms of support and developement) and that definately is a nice thing to see.
This space for rent. All reasonable inquiries will be entertained at proprietors discretion.
Isn't this supposed to be the time where RedHat keeps their mouth shut 'till the IPO?
This means SGI, et al, will put in hours to work on Linux' multi-processor capability. It needs to be much more scalable than it is, for the OS to get the most out of the SGI hardware. Doubly so, when SGI produces the 8 processor version.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
While I'm encouraged by the adoption of Linux, I'm a bit doubtful that this is a good business decision for SGI. Where is their added value? Anyone can do a Linux system on an Intel platform, so what are they bringing to the mix that will set them apart from the rest? I just don't see it.- ----------
--------------------------------------------
If you need to point-and-click to administer a machine,
Yeah.. I got kinda tee'd off.. but in today's age.. it also means preloaded (a As for NT being better or worse, you have your opinion, I have mine, everyone else has thiers. We all know that...
-
ping -f 255.255.255.255 # if only
I have to work with SGIs, so while I think it's a good thing for linux to be getting additional exposure/support/platforms, it makes me a little uneasy. Because if they're focusing on linux and thus probably taking away some Irix specialists, Irix is just going to get worse.... It's got enough problems as it is. And companies like mine with R4K, R10K, and (soon?) R12K machines will still need Irix.
As for the "What can SGI add" question. Hello! I've worked in several CGI (that's ``Computer-Generated Images'') houses and they all have used SGI hardware almost exclusively. That's where high-end graphics and animation get done. And considering that, in the past, it hasn't been low prices or excellent support that have drawn customers to SGI (because neither prices nor support has been exemplary), you better believe that there are other reasons for the investments.
It may not be totally on topic, but when is the new SGI file system (XFS) going to be available, and will it mean that I won't have a horribly corrupted hard drive every time my banshee drivers crash?
SGI's site mention's SGI Linux 1.0 as an add on to Redhat 6.0, but no mention is made of any other distro's.
Somebody wanna start a petition to get the old
Logo back, let me know. npkilla@tpc.seahat.com
!p00p
Step 1. Full Linux Support.
Step 2. Bring the "Cube" Logo back! (Please, pleeeaaase, pretty please).
...and the time will have come. And the name shall be known... The Kylrathi Viper Clan.
To answer "how can this truly help SGI?"...
Linux is branching out to serious SMP boxes. SGI makes serious SMP boxes. If on top of that, SGI is actually contributing code to make Linux run better on SMP boxes, and use xfs filesystems (journaling filesystems are absolutely essential in a big data center setting), then SGI is going to have a very impressive calling card when it comes time to architect, build and document large Linux boxes. PHB: "do you guys know much about this stuff on multiprocessor servers?" SGI: "our engineers wrote a lot of the code for that, actually." PHB: "whoa. Can you guys start here tomorrow?"
From the SGI/RH article. Saying that Linux is inherantly stable and secure is as falacious as the utterance of a former colleague of mine who declared that Windows is inherantly easier to use than everything else. These aren't inherant, they are things that have to be worked for continuously. Every time a kernel patch introduces a bug, someone has to find it and kill it. Every security hole needs to be patched. This takes work, and is not 'inherant'.
Consider what the default no-brainer installs of Debian and Red Hat do, and security is clearly not inherant.
The enemies of Democracy are
For crap's sake, can you people do anything other than complain? You bitch because you want more companies to support Linux, and then when one does, you bitch at them. It doesn't make sense to me. They strongly support Linux and then get reamed out by Linux users.
IMHO, SGI deserves to be roundly applauded for this move, which is a win-win for them and for Linux in general. They also deserve some respect from us for contributing back some of their higher-end Irix technologies.
They are going to sell boatloads of Linux servers, technical and 3D/video workstations, and those dope flat monitors. Great for SGI.
As a means toward that end, they are going to be putting a lot of work into improving Linux, including lots of fs/networking/smp kernel enhancements, better OpenGL support, and I am willing to bet some UI improvements also. Great for us.
They are a strong company with very strong technology, and a lot of very pro-Linux people working there. Let's encourage them instead of discouraging them.
After I made a nice comment about how SGI does a good job supporting linux the other day on some random /. posting of whose subject I can no longer recall, this pops up.
I find myself wondering if I spoke too soon.
Has anyone seen anything on the Kernel development lists about these NFS patches or the new TCP/IP stack? Or are they keeping them closed-source?
God knows a TCP/IP stack that doesn't get bogged down on multiproc servers would be nice.
Anyone got any details?
I have an old O2 which I desperately want to run Linux on as a house server...I pray that they survive long enough to make it happen.
>Of course it seems SGI can't make up it's mind
>for any great period of time anymore,
Perhaps you have not read their business plan?
Take a look. This is yet one step of a long, thoughtfully laid out path.
The information is there if you choose not to remain ignorant..
I really wish SGI had gone with AMD instead.
Could have made two stuggling companies into
one bigger healthier one.
I also wish AMD had gotten the DEC alpha
instead of compaq first.
Oh shit, thats funny....
Jim
..Only if IRIX would.
You guys have a LOT to learn about big machines if you think Linux will ever run on a 2048 processor box that's used for what the Cray is used for. Sheesh:(
Um... perhaps you people have forgotten that SGI bought Cray Super Computers. SGI is in no danger of going under anytime soon. Granted, the posted a small loss last quater, but that's normal in the evolution of a company.
SGI will be here for a long time, and not because of Linux, because of the fact they are a great company.
In the release they mentioned that they changed the TCP/IP Stack. Anybody have any idea what they did? I remember the TCP/IP stack was one of the contributing factors to Linux having lesser scalability than NT (something to do with multithreading if memory serves me) in the benchmarks. If they improved it, I'd love to see another set of benchmarks.
"Have you seen my marbles"
Interesting. The case has an uncanny resemblance to one that Intel sells. Except that the SGI case has better colors and the window on the front.
The Intel case has an SCA hot-swap backplane for six or seven drives *without* the need for expensive caddys.
The Intel case also has rack-mount brackets.
My local reseller has one of these cases with a quad-Xeon board in it. Gets me drooling every time.
Since the press releases all came from SGI what's that have to do with Red Hat's "quiet period"? Try reading before you start flaming next time.
---
"Who pill da cubby custar?"
--
If I actually could spell I'd have spelled it right in the first place.
They claim to use specific patches for the TCP/IP stack and for NFS. What is the status of those patches from the point of view of the kernel guys ? Is it something that will be/has already been included in the stock kernel (either 2.2 or 2.3)
--
Memory fault -- brain fried
Thay have an equivalent called "1400M" which runs Windows NT...
They not switching to Linux only....
Too bad!
Yes, Linux is a registered trademark.
Back in 1996, there was this big Linux trademark dispute, apparently someone who had nothing to do with Linux registered Linux as a trademark, and threatened to start charging people for using it.
The Linux community got together and were able to prove first use, and I think the trademark now belongs to Linus.
Of all the comments I've ever posted, this is definately one of them
The version of RH6.0 they are shipping includes their own updated version of the TCP/IP stack. Which I am sure will be incorporated into the next version.
So when is Alias|Wavefronts' Maya going to be released for Linux? That's what I want...
at least the renderer to start, then the full app...
Just wait a year, if SGI follows through on their linux plans. You will see some nice graphics on Linux workstations
geach
I think you are falling victim to a common bug in the English Language 1.0: There are no clear definite associative operators other than long pauses in time. You can't use parentheses because they already are used in English 1.0 as comment delimiters (like this). I think the trademark is supposed to be this: (Redhat Linux) is a trademark, not Redhat (Linux) is a trademark.
Don't label something "offtopic" unless you know the topic well enough to tell what's on topic.
Humm,
SGI ownes CRAY Research. Have you guys seen the specs on their t3e? 2048 Liquid Cooled Alpha CPUs, 2GB of ram for each one. Drool.
But maybe having a modern OS on these things would slow it down anyways....talk amonst yourselves
This new stack should make linux be as fast or faster than NT. SGI knows more about Multi-thread, Multi-Processor systems that anyone else out there. This is great for Enterprise Linux.
I think Linus holds the trademark on the Linux name. At least it seems that every time I see "Linux" in a press release it lists "copyright Linus Torvalds" (or something similar) at the bottom.