Here's a quick 'n dirty translation of the top half of that Japanese page. It's a conversation snippet between a person named Ogo-chan and a department head (Hisada? Kuda?) at SCE Inc.
Ogo-chan: "PS2 games aren't interesting. I've got a PS2, but I don't play anything but PS games [on it]."
SCE dept. head: "Well, then you should make your own games. Please, feel free to make some."
Ogo-chan: "Well, yes, I'd like to make my own, but the development stuff is really expensive, so it'd be nice if Linux came out for it soon."
SCE dept. head: "A PS2 version of Linux could be released tomorrow if we wanted to, but since there wouldn't be any profit made from it for the company, we'd need some other motivation. If lots of users told us,'Release it soon!' we wouldn't not think about it... My address is written on my business card, so please send any mail etc. [there]."
Actually, it *is* showing in some AMC theatres now. The current Chicago Tribune lists it as showing in one area AMC theatre (and some smaller artsy theatres). It looks to be on one screen only at each of the theatres, though, but hopefully tickets won't be hard to come by.
So don't give up yet; it may be at a theatre near you (if you're in a larger city)!
How large were your disk images?
I've used Norton Ghost to pull down 1GB+ images over a 100MB switched network on over 100+ machines, and it doesn't take more than 10-15 minutes to get the image pulled down.
I don't know how long ago you worked for that previous company, but things have definitely changed since then.
I don't think they're trying to say that time spent debugging isn't considered "work" - obviously it is, as fixing problems to make a stable product is an extremely vital activity (as we all know). What I think they're trying to say is that a lot of our debugging time is spent dealing with stuff that shouldn't be a problem in the first place (e.g. typos, poorly implemented standard algorithms, hurried functionality additions, etc.), and thus time which could be spent doing "real work" (e.g. implementing new, fast algorithms, figuring solutions to latency/concurrency issues, etc.) is instead wasted on fixing simple problems.
Canceled projects can also be considered wasted time, IMHO, because in the end, there is nothing to show for the work that was done. Sure, your team did a crapload of work, but if someone scrap's everything you've done, what was the point in having you do it in the first place? Was there not something more productive you could've been doing than working on essentially trash? Yes, perhaps your team has gotten a bunch of new skills, and that's great, but usually they can also do the same thing in something called "training."
Personally, I think there is a whole ton of wasted effort going on in the working world, but everyone involved is in such massive denial about it that nobody attempts to do anything about it. While I think this study is a bit extreme in its estimates, I hope that it induces some change for the better in terms of productivity.
It sounds like you may have a bunch of people in your company that have come from an MS-heavy previous job and are looking for some of the niceties that Exchange provides. I'm also guessing that they've got an MS OS installed on their desktops/laptops and may not like dealing with non-MS platforms.
Exchange provides for more than just mail - it also has built-in calendaring support, instant messaging (in the form of MS' proprietary MSN Messenger client), and some conferencing capabilities, in addition to newsgroup/bulleting board-like Public Forums. From your current setup, it doesn't look like you provide any of these services. Internal newsgroup services can be implemented in Solaris and be accessible with Outlook, but I don't know of any Unix/Open Source implementations of the other services. (Anybody else on/. got some ideas?)
Seeing as your current system works well and the people asking for MS Exchange support are small, it would be a good argument, IMHO, to list the costs and potentially hassles of ripping up the current infrastructure and replacing it with a whole new one versus the benefits of putting in Exchange. As an example of cost, you'd need completely new hardware for Exchange, as it doesn't run on Solaris. You'd also need hardware to set up a domain for it to run in, which means at LEAST a PDC/BDC combo. Then there's the cost of retraining your entire IT staff to support an MS domain/products. Security might also be an issue. (If you shield the servers enough, keep up with patches, and are a real dictator with what ports you allow through to them/out from them, though, they can be okay.)
Of course, if this minority STILL insists that it be done despite the potential costs in time and resources, you could try a compromise where you set up a small domain with Exchange for them and have mail relayed back and forth between Exchange and Sendmail. That way, you don't have to tear up what you have, and they can get the features they want. The big problem with this, though, is if lots of people start wanting accounts on Solaris and NT, in which case things become a management hell, and you have to start thinking about LDAP or something (if you don't have it already).
I think I can say that most people on/. agree that you shouldn't yank out what works and cause hell for the sake of a few ardent complainers. The trick is to show why the costs outweigh what small benefits Exchange would provide to a small subsection of the company.
You generally can't write some awe-inspiring program and expect it to automatically sell itself. Someone has to go out and spread the word about your product, and generally the hardcore techs aren't so good at this. You have to know how to schmooze, and network, and pull strings until things, and do all of the human relations stuff to sell a product that, unfortunately, precious few techies can do well.
The other thing that they do is help keep everyone on a timeline so projects don't meander on forever. Let's face it - there are plenty of projects that are dead in the water because there was no management to keep everyone humming along. This also takes lots of focus and work to do, and the new mainstream phrase "cat-herder" describes what a manager does pretty well.
This is what managers and other higher-ups do - they help to keep things moving along and help to bring in cash. This is not to say that techs aren't important. Obviously, they are, because without them there would be nothing to manage and, perhaps more importantly, nothing to sell. What needs to be done, IMHO, is even out the perceived importance (and therefore compensation) difference between the two. It's really a symbiotic relationship between management and developers/techies/etc., and everyone needs to stop denying it.
It's tough to watch management get all the kudos - and rewards - for a well-executed project. It's also tough to watch the crack, genius development team leave because management didn't recognize how valuable they were.
You're assuming, of course, that there are lots of tech people who think that router managing is loads of fun. And what would the hired "UNIX hacks" do? Write distributed accounting software? I can't say I'd find that terribly interesting, either.
This is not to say that there *aren't* people out there who like doing this. It just may be that you haven't found people who do yet.
I've had Telocity DSL since last June. For the most part, it's pretty solid. Note that I said,"for the most part." Woe unto thee that has a service issue that needs to get resolved. Early on, we lost connectivity, and we naturally tried to call Telocity to get it resolved. In a week, a tech came out and told us we didn't have connectivity to the phone company; it was the phone company's problem. Well, after another *3 weeks* and the phone company saying it's not their problem, we finally got a tech who knew what he was doing. It turns out that someone had *moved our line to a different jack in the apartment building*. Needless to say, we were dumbfounded. How's that for a wasted month?
One other caveat: DSL is great if you can get it installed. A friend of mine spent *two months* wrangling with Telocity to get service installed. Finally, after he basically ripped their Level 2 tech support a new one and told them to cancel his service request (which they had been billing him for, despite him not having service!), a magical thing happened. Two days after that verbal reaming, a tech was out and had him up and running.
So what have we learned? The only way to get DSL companies to do what they're supposed to do is to chew out their high-level support people and threaten to take money away. (Chewing out low-level support people is like yelling at a wall.) Second, it takes a LOT of personal energy and time to do this.
DSL service seems to be an all-or-nothing type of thing. Either it gets installed and works, or it doesn't. You'll have to decide for yourself whether it's worth the (almost assured) headaches.
A MMRPG is already being planned for a console - the Sega Dreamcast. Phantasy Star Online has been in development for a while now, and if I recall correctly, they're aiming for release by Christmas or in Q1. The only problem I see is that you'd have to play it over a 56K modem via Seganet. I'd feel silly dialing up to play PSO when I've got a perfectly good DSL connection. (Why they didn't include an Ethernet option on the DC is beyond me...)
- PCat
In the same vein, Matrox demoed the Matrox G200/MMS, an AGP G200 with *four* DVI outputs on it. Not quite the same as MassMultiple's displays, but the result is similar.:)
Here's my first crack at translating what's on the home page. It's good to know that my three years of Japanese training can be put to some use...:)
There's not a whole lot on the page - just a greeting, an obvious "What's New" section, and a FAQ. Anyway, here's my quick-'n-dirty translation of the FAQ:
AXE developed this version of Linux, with much help from Sharp. HOWEVER, please do not contact Sharp with any questions regarding this page.
Linux runs as a single process in Zaurus' XTAL microkernel
The Zaurus environment and Linux environment can coexist:
written text input can be directed to the Linux console
Zaurus' environment will not be crippled in any way (PC: presumably by Linux running concurrently)
however, there are no guarantees made for processes running on the system
there is no guarantee that erasure or other changes to Zaurus' internal data will not occur
Use of the Zaurus keyboard option is supported
(pc: here, there's a link to a more detailed description of how zxLinux was developed, but the link seems to be broken as I write this)
Section 2:Compatible hardware
Zaurus iCraze(?) EX1 (model# MI-EX1)
Power Zaurus C1 (model# MI-C1)
NOTE: Other Zaurus models have insufficient RAM, so at this time, they cannot run zxLinux.
Section 3:Kernel Version
Linux Kernel version 2.3.23
(pc: a dev kernel???)
Section 4:Development Environment(pc: now my Japanese is getting a little fuzzy; we never learned technical terms or technical use of terms, so please bear with me ^_^;;)
Cross development with Intel-based Linux
Development kits come in two types; debugger comes in one:
Kernel development kit
Application development kit
Application development kit remote debugger
To develop for zxLinux, a native Zaurus development environment and a Linux development environment are necessary. (pc: combining? synchronizing?) the environments is extremely difficult. This is why a specific kernel development kit was created. However, we still must stress caution when conducting zxLinux kernel development.
zxLinux application development does not differ from normal Linux application development. As long as limits are observed (pc: presumably memory limits), Linux-x86 or Linux/SH (or other Linux) source code can be used.
(pc: here, there's a link to to an explanation of how to develop for zxLinux)
The remote debugger is used by attaching a serial line between a Zaurus and an Intel-based Linux machine. If you run a debugger on an Intel-based Linux machine and "gdbserver" (remote debugger) on the Zaurus, you can conduct zxLinux application debugging.
(pc: here, there's a link to an explanation of how to use the debugger.
(pc: I'm not going to try translating these right now, as the text is really long and full of disclaimers and legal stuff; suffice to say that you're on your own when you use this, you can't blame Sharp for any damage to your Zaurus, etc., etc. - standard stuff)
Section 8:Using the binaries
If you use this software, you may damage or destroy your Zaurus' internal data. Any use of this software is your responsibility.
If you have vital data stored on your Zaurus, then please DO NOT USE THIS SOFTWARE AT ALL.
No matter what happens, neither Sharp Corp. nor AXE hold any responsibility (for your Zaurus).
Prepare a read/writable Zaurus-compatible compact flash card. (Make sure that the file format on the card is DOS FAT.)
Unpack the binary kit archive. This can be done in either Windows or Linux. ZLNXKNL.BIN zxLinux kernel ZLNXIMG.DAT Linux ext2fs image ZLNX.APL ZLNX.BIN ZLNXDM00.JPN ZLNXFM00.JPN ZLNXST00.JPN zxLinux boot program The above files are what you should get. (pc: I ripped this table from the page and translated the katakana bits...sorry, AXE!)
Copy all of the above files to the compact flash card.
Place the flash card into the Zaurus.
"ZxLinux" should appear in the MORE Software screen (in actuality, the boot program), so tap it to begin the install.
zxLinux will automatically install.
The ext2fs image can be mounted and used on an Intel-based Linux machine.
IMPORTANT: To shutdown zxLinux, go to the [Power (Return)] button. Going to a different button will not shut down Linux; it will only change the running application. With zxLinux running in the background behind the new application, the Zaurus will run exceptionally slowly.
If the Zaurus behaves abnormally, find the battery removal switch and move it from [Lock]->[Release]->[Lock]. This will reset your Zaurus.
Section 9:Mailing List
For program developers, there is a mailing list available: zxldev@axe-inc.co.jp.
To Subscribe
For people wishing to subscribe, please send mail to     zxldev-ctl@axe-inc.co.jp with this text     subscribe zxldev <your@mail.address> in the body of the message.
A confirmation email will be sent to the given address.
Reply to the confirmation email.
Once these steps are completed, you will be subscribed to the list.
NOTE: This list is supported by volunteers.
Section 10:Documentation
(pc: link to a page on how zxLinux was created)
(pc: link to the development method page)
(pc: link to a page on use of the remote debugger)
(pc: link to simple instructions for a demo application)
Section 11:Related links
(pc: link to Sharp's home page)
(pc: link to AXE's home page)
(pc: link to the XTAL home page)
(pc: link to the Japanese Linux Association home page)
(pc: link to a Japanese Linux info page)
------------------------------------------------
*WHEW*
That pretty much covers the FAQ. Now that I think about it, I probably didn't need to translate the install instructions, as people who have Zaurus' can probably read Japanese anyway.
Anyway, I hope this helps people out some. I'm not a native Japanese speaker, and I don't claim that my translation is 100% correct, so please forgive any errors in the translation. If you have corrections, please post them!:)
Slashdot Mirror
Ogo-chan: "PS2 games aren't interesting. I've got a PS2, but I don't play anything but PS games [on it]."
SCE dept. head: "Well, then you should make your own games. Please, feel free to make some."
Ogo-chan: "Well, yes, I'd like to make my own, but the development stuff is really expensive, so it'd be nice if Linux came out for it soon."
SCE dept. head: "A PS2 version of Linux could be released tomorrow if we wanted to, but since there wouldn't be any profit made from it for the company, we'd need some other motivation. If lots of users told us,'Release it soon!' we wouldn't not think about it... My address is written on my business card, so please send any mail etc. [there]."
So don't give up yet; it may be at a theatre near you (if you're in a larger city)!
How large were your disk images? I've used Norton Ghost to pull down 1GB+ images over a 100MB switched network on over 100+ machines, and it doesn't take more than 10-15 minutes to get the image pulled down. I don't know how long ago you worked for that previous company, but things have definitely changed since then.
Canceled projects can also be considered wasted time, IMHO, because in the end, there is nothing to show for the work that was done. Sure, your team did a crapload of work, but if someone scrap's everything you've done, what was the point in having you do it in the first place? Was there not something more productive you could've been doing than working on essentially trash? Yes, perhaps your team has gotten a bunch of new skills, and that's great, but usually they can also do the same thing in something called "training."
Personally, I think there is a whole ton of wasted effort going on in the working world, but everyone involved is in such massive denial about it that nobody attempts to do anything about it. While I think this study is a bit extreme in its estimates, I hope that it induces some change for the better in terms of productivity.
Exchange provides for more than just mail - it also has built-in calendaring support, instant messaging (in the form of MS' proprietary MSN Messenger client), and some conferencing capabilities, in addition to newsgroup/bulleting board-like Public Forums. From your current setup, it doesn't look like you provide any of these services. Internal newsgroup services can be implemented in Solaris and be accessible with Outlook, but I don't know of any Unix/Open Source implementations of the other services. (Anybody else on /. got some ideas?)
Seeing as your current system works well and the people asking for MS Exchange support are small, it would be a good argument, IMHO, to list the costs and potentially hassles of ripping up the current infrastructure and replacing it with a whole new one versus the benefits of putting in Exchange. As an example of cost, you'd need completely new hardware for Exchange, as it doesn't run on Solaris. You'd also need hardware to set up a domain for it to run in, which means at LEAST a PDC/BDC combo. Then there's the cost of retraining your entire IT staff to support an MS domain/products. Security might also be an issue. (If you shield the servers enough, keep up with patches, and are a real dictator with what ports you allow through to them/out from them, though, they can be okay.)
Of course, if this minority STILL insists that it be done despite the potential costs in time and resources, you could try a compromise where you set up a small domain with Exchange for them and have mail relayed back and forth between Exchange and Sendmail. That way, you don't have to tear up what you have, and they can get the features they want. The big problem with this, though, is if lots of people start wanting accounts on Solaris and NT, in which case things become a management hell, and you have to start thinking about LDAP or something (if you don't have it already).
I think I can say that most people on /. agree that you shouldn't yank out what works and cause hell for the sake of a few ardent complainers. The trick is to show why the costs outweigh what small benefits Exchange would provide to a small subsection of the company.
You generally can't write some awe-inspiring program and expect it to automatically sell itself. Someone has to go out and spread the word about your product, and generally the hardcore techs aren't so good at this. You have to know how to schmooze, and network, and pull strings until things, and do all of the human relations stuff to sell a product that, unfortunately, precious few techies can do well. The other thing that they do is help keep everyone on a timeline so projects don't meander on forever. Let's face it - there are plenty of projects that are dead in the water because there was no management to keep everyone humming along. This also takes lots of focus and work to do, and the new mainstream phrase "cat-herder" describes what a manager does pretty well. This is what managers and other higher-ups do - they help to keep things moving along and help to bring in cash. This is not to say that techs aren't important. Obviously, they are, because without them there would be nothing to manage and, perhaps more importantly, nothing to sell. What needs to be done, IMHO, is even out the perceived importance (and therefore compensation) difference between the two. It's really a symbiotic relationship between management and developers/techies/etc., and everyone needs to stop denying it. It's tough to watch management get all the kudos - and rewards - for a well-executed project. It's also tough to watch the crack, genius development team leave because management didn't recognize how valuable they were.
You're assuming, of course, that there are lots of tech people who think that router managing is loads of fun. And what would the hired "UNIX hacks" do? Write distributed accounting software? I can't say I'd find that terribly interesting, either. This is not to say that there *aren't* people out there who like doing this. It just may be that you haven't found people who do yet.
I've had Telocity DSL since last June. For the most part, it's pretty solid. Note that I said,"for the most part." Woe unto thee that has a service issue that needs to get resolved. Early on, we lost connectivity, and we naturally tried to call Telocity to get it resolved. In a week, a tech came out and told us we didn't have connectivity to the phone company; it was the phone company's problem. Well, after another *3 weeks* and the phone company saying it's not their problem, we finally got a tech who knew what he was doing. It turns out that someone had *moved our line to a different jack in the apartment building*. Needless to say, we were dumbfounded. How's that for a wasted month? One other caveat: DSL is great if you can get it installed. A friend of mine spent *two months* wrangling with Telocity to get service installed. Finally, after he basically ripped their Level 2 tech support a new one and told them to cancel his service request (which they had been billing him for, despite him not having service!), a magical thing happened. Two days after that verbal reaming, a tech was out and had him up and running. So what have we learned? The only way to get DSL companies to do what they're supposed to do is to chew out their high-level support people and threaten to take money away. (Chewing out low-level support people is like yelling at a wall.) Second, it takes a LOT of personal energy and time to do this. DSL service seems to be an all-or-nothing type of thing. Either it gets installed and works, or it doesn't. You'll have to decide for yourself whether it's worth the (almost assured) headaches.
A MMRPG is already being planned for a console - the Sega Dreamcast. Phantasy Star Online has been in development for a while now, and if I recall correctly, they're aiming for release by Christmas or in Q1. The only problem I see is that you'd have to play it over a 56K modem via Seganet. I'd feel silly dialing up to play PSO when I've got a perfectly good DSL connection. (Why they didn't include an Ethernet option on the DC is beyond me...) - PCat
Go to Matrox's website to get more details.
There's not a whole lot on the page - just a greeting, an obvious "What's New" section, and a FAQ. Anyway, here's my quick-'n-dirty translation of the FAQ:
------------------------------------------------ zxLinux FAQ
Section 1: zxLinux is...?
- Linux for use on Sharp's Zaurus
- AXE developed this version of Linux, with much help from Sharp. HOWEVER, please do not contact Sharp with any questions regarding this page.
- Linux runs as a single process in Zaurus' XTAL microkernel
- The Zaurus environment and Linux environment can coexist:
- written text input can be directed to the Linux console
- Zaurus' environment will not be crippled in any way (PC: presumably by Linux running concurrently)
- however, there are no guarantees made for processes running on the system
- there is no guarantee that erasure or other changes to Zaurus' internal data will not occur
- Use of the Zaurus keyboard option is supported
(pc: here, there's a link to a more detailed description of how zxLinux was developed, but the link seems to be broken as I write this)Section 2: Compatible hardware
- Zaurus iCraze(?) EX1 (model# MI-EX1)
- Power Zaurus C1 (model# MI-C1)
NOTE: Other Zaurus models have insufficient RAM, so at this time, they cannot run zxLinux.Section 3: Kernel Version
- Linux Kernel version 2.3.23
(pc: a dev kernel???)Section 4: Development Environment (pc: now my Japanese is getting a little fuzzy; we never learned technical terms or technical use of terms, so please bear with me ^_^;;)
- Cross development with Intel-based Linux
- Development kits come in two types; debugger comes in one:
- Kernel development kit
- Application development kit
- Application development kit remote debugger
- To develop for zxLinux, a native Zaurus development environment and a Linux development environment are necessary. (pc: combining? synchronizing?) the environments is extremely difficult. This is why a specific kernel development kit was created. However, we still must stress caution when conducting zxLinux kernel development.
- zxLinux application development does not differ from normal Linux application development. As long as limits are observed (pc: presumably memory limits), Linux-x86 or Linux/SH (or other Linux) source code can be used.
- (pc: here, there's a link to to an explanation of how to develop for zxLinux)
- The remote debugger is used by attaching a serial line between a Zaurus and an Intel-based Linux machine. If you run a debugger on an Intel-based Linux machine and "gdbserver" (remote debugger) on the Zaurus, you can conduct zxLinux application debugging.
- (pc: here, there's a link to an explanation of how to use the debugger.
Section 5: License/usage conditionsSection 6: License/usage warnings
Section 7: License agreement
(pc: I'm not going to try translating these right now, as the text is really long and full of disclaimers and legal stuff; suffice to say that you're on your own when you use this, you can't blame Sharp for any damage to your Zaurus, etc., etc. - standard stuff)
Section 8: Using the binaries
If you use this software, you may damage or destroy your Zaurus' internal data. Any use of this software is your responsibility.
If you have vital data stored on your Zaurus, then please DO NOT USE THIS SOFTWARE AT ALL.
No matter what happens, neither Sharp Corp. nor AXE hold any responsibility (for your Zaurus).
- Prepare a read/writable Zaurus-compatible compact flash card. (Make sure that the file format on the card is DOS FAT.)
- Unpack the binary kit archive. This can be done in either Windows or Linux.
- Copy all of the above files to the compact flash card.
- Place the flash card into the Zaurus.
- "ZxLinux" should appear in the MORE Software screen (in actuality, the boot program), so tap it to begin the install.
- zxLinux will automatically install.
- The ext2fs image can be mounted and used on an Intel-based Linux machine.
- IMPORTANT: To shutdown zxLinux, go to the [Power (Return)] button.
- If the Zaurus behaves abnormally, find the battery removal switch and move it from [Lock]->[Release]->[Lock]. This will reset your Zaurus.
Section 9: Mailing ListZLNXKNL.BIN zxLinux kernel ZLNXIMG.DAT Linux ext2fs image ZLNX.APL
ZLNX.BIN
ZLNXDM00.JPN
ZLNXFM00.JPN
ZLNXST00.JPN zxLinux boot program The above files are what you should get.
(pc: I ripped this table from the page and translated the katakana bits...sorry, AXE!)
Going to a different button will not shut down Linux; it will only change the running application. With zxLinux running in the background behind the new application, the Zaurus will run exceptionally slowly.
For program developers, there is a mailing list available: zxldev@axe-inc.co.jp.
To Subscribe
- For people wishing to subscribe, please send mail to
- A confirmation email will be sent to the given address.
- Reply to the confirmation email.
- Once these steps are completed, you will be subscribed to the list.
NOTE: This list is supported by volunteers.    zxldev-ctl@axe-inc.co.jp
with this text
    subscribe zxldev <your@mail.address>
in the body of the message.
Section 10: Documentation
- (pc: link to a page on how zxLinux was created)
- (pc: link to the development method page)
- (pc: link to a page on use of the remote debugger)
- (pc: link to simple instructions for a demo application)
Section 11: Related links------------------------------------------------
*WHEW*
That pretty much covers the FAQ. Now that I think about it, I probably didn't need to translate the install instructions, as people who have Zaurus' can probably read Japanese anyway.
Anyway, I hope this helps people out some. I'm not a native Japanese speaker, and I don't claim that my translation is 100% correct, so please forgive any errors in the translation. If you have corrections, please post them! :)
Ja na,
- PC