I feel that the real issue is that free software support for the SPARC architechture "falls between two stools" so to speak. With the conventional x86 linux platform it has much in its favour: Millions of hackers around the world sitting at x86 boxes which all read pretty much the same 32-bit code. And a mass-market (?) for all the people who would love something with the reliability and fell of *NIX, but who, like the rest of us were sitting on there windows box a few years ago. This makes a real market with hard cash involved for distro publishers like RedHat, et al. To start with the SPARC platform already had a beautifully engineerd UNIX for it, compatible with its hardware from the ground up, (no hours of reverse-guess-hacking the soundcard for the ppl who brought a new "Windows-compatible" board), and one which is fully supported by its team of writers, which is something which most people wanting an easy-linux-ride can only dream of. In some way the linux-distros try to fulfill this for the x86 users, by providing a bundle of software, all the gizmo's, and in some cases technical support. The fact that this already exists pretty much for the SPARC architechture, kinda takes the wind out of the sales of any other distrobution. Sure some people want to hack together linux on their sparc, but as a normal desktop-tasks OS, SPARC already has what the disros have to offer
HENCE.... the disto market is very limited for SPARC, and i feel is probably destined for little commercial suport.
What your really calling for is for a hacker-maintaied distro, working on the same basis as the kernel is maintained, (ie non-profit, in ya spare time).. I wish you well, and what can I say - it can, and i think, will happen. but the risk is to bark up the wrong/commercial tree, for which the competition (SOLARIS) is just too damn stiff.
Now all we need is for someone to write the three-line-perl-RSA-implementation on the side of it for the most stylish arms-trafiking stunt in history.
Seriously tho' doesnt it occur to anyone that if this does succeed, it could have very serious implications for smuggling (Like thinks how much crack this thing could carry with it per-flight with a little modification),
Of course the simple internet minded solution would be to legally threaten the balsa-growers, the plane-sellers, and the gasoline-vendors while letting the crack whores continue unmolested.
OK. all fair and good to say "no" to giving gamers an advantage just 'cos they spent £3000 on some fat-gaming kit, over ppl like me who've got a £500 pc + £18 gfx card setup. And also i realise the importance of not alowing cracks / sploits onto the game, but how about just letting ppl bring their own mouse, keyboard, and maybe own screen, and provide the actuall boxen.
With the possible exception of own_screen i hardly think that money will affect the outcome to badly, and that way gamers keep the feel of their own rig without any risks of cracks etc.
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I feel that the real issue is that free software support for the SPARC architechture "falls between two stools" so to speak. With the conventional x86 linux platform it has much in its favour: Millions of hackers around the world sitting at x86 boxes which all read pretty much the same 32-bit code. And a mass-market (?) for all the people who would love something with the reliability and fell of *NIX, but who, like the rest of us were sitting on there windows box a few years ago. This makes a real market with hard cash involved for distro publishers like RedHat, et al. To start with the SPARC platform already had a beautifully engineerd UNIX for it, compatible with its hardware from the ground up, (no hours of reverse-guess-hacking the soundcard for the ppl who brought a new "Windows-compatible" board), and one which is fully supported by its team of writers, which is something which most people wanting an easy-linux-ride can only dream of. In some way the linux-distros try to fulfill this for the x86 users, by providing a bundle of software, all the gizmo's, and in some cases technical support. The fact that this already exists pretty much for the SPARC architechture, kinda takes the wind out of the sales of any other distrobution. Sure some people want to hack together linux on their sparc, but as a normal desktop-tasks OS, SPARC already has what the disros have to offer
HENCE.... the disto market is very limited for SPARC, and i feel is probably destined for little commercial suport.
What your really calling for is for a hacker-maintaied distro, working on the same basis as the kernel is maintained, (ie non-profit, in ya spare time).. I wish you well, and what can I say - it can, and i think, will happen. but the risk is to bark up the wrong/commercial tree, for which the competition (SOLARIS) is just too damn stiff.
----- Dom
Now all we need is for someone to write the three-line-perl-RSA-implementation on the side of it for the most stylish arms-trafiking stunt in history.
Seriously tho' doesnt it occur to anyone that if this does succeed, it could have very serious implications for smuggling (Like thinks how much crack this thing could carry with it per-flight with a little modification),
Of course the simple internet minded solution would be to legally threaten the balsa-growers, the plane-sellers, and the gasoline-vendors while letting the crack whores continue unmolested.
------------ Dom Howells
With the possible exception of own_screen i hardly think that money will affect the outcome to badly, and that way gamers keep the feel of their own rig without any risks of cracks etc.
- Just my 1.4pence - Dom Howells