Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Compaq Helps You "Test Drive" Linux and Unix

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the side-by-side-comparisons-for-free dept.

Ron Rangel writes " This website gives you quick, open, online access to simply run your applications on Linux. Or at least thats what they say." I tried it and it was kind of fun. You sign up (moderately intrusive questions), then Telnet (no ssh) into servers running several flavors of Unix and several Linux distros on different (Compaq) hardware platforms. Want to play with SuSE Linux on an Alpha (or whatever)? Here's your chance!

3 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Slashdot: Jokes for nerds, stuff that's funny by Booker · · Score: 5

    Ok, moderator types... the top-ranked comment on just about every story I've read today has been pumped up on "funny." And most of it's not that funny.

    Let's exercise those "insightful" and "informative" buttons once in a while, eh? :)

  2. Don't forget the toys they give you by smartin · · Score: 4

    After you play with it a while. (actually i think the idea is that you are suppose to upload, build/port and run your own software). Anyway when you are done, fill out the questionare and they will send you a Linux license plate (way cool), a redhat cap (red), and a little toy compaq car (gave to my kid :)).

    --
    The difference between Canada and the USA is that in Canada healthcare is a right and gun ownership is a privilege.
  3. Re:Is this still too complex for newbies? by bmetzler · · Score: 4
    I suppose this is great for advanced users of linux/unix/etc, but who is it geared to? Most people who can use this already have linux, so is it just a distro testing site, or what?

    When I first checked this out it was my feeling that this was intended for corporations who are evaluating possibilities to port their software to a different platform.

    Say they've got an awesome app on Unixware. But they heard that a 64bit platform will greatly enhance performance? How do they know how hard it will be to port the app, and then whether there'll be any benefit? They'd have to buy the hardware and tools, and everything just for a chance to evaluate what the platform will do for them. A lot of people are obviously turned away by the inherent risks. This takes that risk away by providing the tools for free, and even providing "contracts" to get your app ported.

    I don't think their intent was for 50,000 /.'ers to get a free account to "mess" around in :-) I surely doubt this was for newbies either, hopefully if they are experienced enough to have software to run on it, they've passwd the newbie stage.

    -Brent
    --