I have wiped and installed 4.0-RELEASE my company's DNS caching machine (which was running FreeBSD 3.2) and so far, the machine takes less time to boot up and to go through the process of downloading and updating any changed DNS maps.
Recompiling the kernel definitely takes less time, so I guess I could say that the performance on the machine (which is a P5-200 with 48MB of RAM and a 1GB hard drive) has improved and can handle several more EMACS sessions (I like `ee' for it's ease of use) than before.
Of what I've heard, USB support is much better now, which would help improve desktop support. Unfortunately, FreeBSD is not quite as desktop-ready as Linux when it comes to drivers, some appliations and possibly ease of use, but all of those things should be caught up in no time.
I haven't used the multimedia stuff on FreeBSD since most of my work on it is setting up mail, DNS and FTP servers.
To decode the Alpha processor model number (based on 21x64)
The `21' stands for the processors series The `x' stands for the actual revision of the processor when based from the original 21064 The `64' stands for 64-bit
I know that AMD has already released information that they will be making the Professional and Select versions of the Athlon processor, but right now Intel is slipping on the high-end workstation side.
News.com had an article stating that Dell and HP will not be using some of Intel's newer Pentium III Xeon processors because the processors cost too much and don't provide that much more performance over the new Pentium III.18 micron processors (which are at least $100 cheaper and their closest Xeon cousin).
Currently, AMD has been pushing at the consumer and middle-level workstations, but not enough at the high-end workstation and server market enough. With the Camino stink, the possible EU ban on the Pentium III processors, and the cost/performance problems with Rambus... Intel has opened themselves to losing some of their share in the workstation market.
With VIA producing their new PC133/AGP 4x Athlon chipset, this might help Micron and HP to look more at the Athlon processors as a workstation processor and start pushing those workstations at possibly a lower price than their Pentium III counterparts. If AMD starts working on a more robust and more flexible chipset (read: supports multiple processors, possible support for DDR RAM or Rambus, 64-bit PCI and even on-board Firewire), they might be able to influence Dell to start making Athlon-based Precision workstations or Athlon-based PowerEdge servers (running Windows NT, Linux or even FreeBSD!)
It just never really entered my mind until after I submitted the post... but people are now informed...
If AMD pulls the right strings and work at it, they can help push along the PC200 development quicker and cheaper (well... at least when compared to RAMBUS anyways).
I did read that article about the difference between running a processor with it's cache at original speed and at a lower speed. I do agree (and that's why I stated that the FPU marks are higher on the 750Mhz) that lowering the L2 cache speed really doesn't affect performance in many cases, but in some cases it can.
I did leave out some of that in my post, but thanks for adding that;)
One thing AMD does need to do is bump up the bus speed and/or try to push for PC200 RAM (which I think there was a link on Anand's page this morning... 8am PST). That would really start things up in the high-end workstation and server market.
At http://www.hardocp.com, they have an article on how to remove the casing around the AMD Athlon processors and expose the `slug' and the cache chips. But if you choose to leave the casing on, any SECC1 cooling fan will cool those suckers down!
There is supposed to be several articles on how to convert a SECC1 or SECC2 alpha heatsink to fit on a bare Athlon processor, but the article isn't done yet.
Since the processor is manufactured using the.18 micron process, the chip `should' run cooler than the 700Mhz.25 micron Athlon. But in any case, those things radiate 90+ watts of heat, which is a lot for a processor, but not as bad as some of the DEC Alpha, Pentium !!! 600+ Mhz, and the newer SPARC processors. The Alpha's can radiate over 120 watts of heat. Hey! With a dual processor Alpha system... I might be able to make some toast, since it does tend to toast x86 systems running Linux;)
Of what I've heard... AMD is working on their new chipset that will handle dual and quad processor setups, with RAMBUS and AGP 4x. There was a rumour that the new chipset is set to debut late Q1 of 2000, but the source didn't have a firm answer from AMD nor from any of the motherboard manufacturers.
There is a very nice review of the new 750Mhz Athlon over at http://anandtech.com
The review states that the new Athlon's external L2 cache does not run at 1/2 CPU speed but rather at 1/2.5 of CPU speed. So L2 cache dependant programs don't perform quite as well on the 750Mhz Athlon as anticipated. According to the review, the processor's FPU marks are (of course) faster than it's 700Mhz brother, but does the extra cost justify the minimal performance increase?
Many people would say no (including me), but remember that the consumers don't care about the internals of the processor, but rather care about the Mhz rating... That's why both Intel and AMD have pushed out 700+ Mhz processors already, even though their previous roadmaps show that they weren't going to push out those processors until Q1 or Q2 of 2000.
Anywho... just to inform you guys about the difference in the L2 cache...
It sounds like a decent solution for very low-end and inexpensive computers... just like their i810 chipset (which of course had it's slew of problems). I wonder if the new integrated video in the `processor' will be just like their video chipset attempt called the i740. Sure the i740 chipset was cheap, but the performance was equivalent with it's price... very low.
I think the `processor' will probably be very useful in handheld/portable computers... and help lower prices of laptops even more. Hey... there might be competition with the iBook;)
I wonder how the announcement will make the video chipset makers (like ATI, 3dfx, Riva, etc) feel.... could this mean more competition or `yet another strong-arm Intel tactic'?
I know it isn't really emulation... that's why I surrounded the word emulation without slashes. It's my way to say that it's not really what it means, but it's the only word I can think of at that moment.
I was running `top' to see how much space in memory was used for WordPerfect... and the Linux version used about 1MB more than the ported version. But 1MB really doesn't kill me since I have 256MB installed on that machine.
But so far... `top' states that neither of my machines (one with 256MB of RAM and one with 64MB of RAM) hasn't used swap space yet. I guess that's a good thing;)
I partially agree with you in that US$995 seems expensive... but many companies want a solution that is already pre-built and ready to go without too much of a hassle. Also... cheaper solutions may end up having higher TCO than their more expensive counterpart.
Even the company I work for paid well over $1000 for our firewall setup running off of a customized Linux kernel (I don't know the version or anything like that). But the system itself does have it's nice tools, and has it's problems as well.
As I have said before, many people can make a Firewall/Router from $200 worth of equipment running OpenBSD or FreeBSD (I'd recommend the former, although I know people who have made their own firewall running off of FreeBSD 3.2-STABLE).
Of course there are companies that think `you get what you pay' and purchase $20,000 firewall solutions and think that a homemade or an unknown company-made firewall won't cut it. There are situations that they are correct in choosing the very expensive solution... but not all solutions fit in every situation.
Just to wrap up my rambling... to some people... US$995 is too expensive... for those people... you can build just a great firewall for $200 (which I'm working on right now)... to the rest of the people (mostly large corporations where security is a huge issue and concern), $995 is miniscule.
It's kind of nice to see another BSD distribution (albeit it's a commercial version of BSD) pick up on the Linux/emulation/ feature.
Sure the/emulation/ may not be perfect under FreeBSD, but it allows me to run Linux versions of Pine 4.20, Netscape 4.7, and WordPerfect (although the FreeBSD port is a bit faster and more stable, but the Linux version uses a bit less RAM).
Something I would really like to see more of would be more companies port [free or non-free] software over to xBSD. The market share for xBSD isn't as huge as the Linux share, but many people still choose BSD over Linux for one reason or another. Just like the previous Sun JDK port for FreeBSD article, many companies are pushing for Linux a bit too much... remember, the Open Source movement's goal is to provide the ability to share software and source freely to anyone... and to help provide alternatives to the current software out there.
It seems that Paul Allen has been buying or venturing into the Multimedia, [Tele]Communications and high technology fields lately. Could it be that he wants to find a niche to show that he is better than Bill Gates in some manner?
I agree that ZDTV isn't the best channel or property, but to some people, it's something that many wanna-be geeks want and like.
It may be a very good solution for a small or mid-sized business who needs to have a firewall up and running without too much hassle. It's true that there are many software-based solutions out there... I'd prefer a tightened hardware-based firewall solution if security is the biggest issue (which it is for many companies, including the one I work for).
But for $995, many people would rather piece together a 486/33 machine with 16MB of RAM and two ISA network cards...place Open/FreeBSD and close out the ports that aren't needed and lock it down tight... heck... I might actually do that:)
The Voodoo2 may be outdated by today's standard (when compared to the GeForce 256, Voodoo 4/5, etc.) but it still does very decent graphics for a 3D-only card. I'd rather spend $50 on a Voodoo2 then spend $300 on a 2D/3D card just to play a game or two, maybe once or twice a week. Just remember that there is still a market for the Voodoo2 card/chipset as there is still a market for the AMD K6-2 350Mhz processor. If I wanted the best in everything and had the money to pay for it, I would still hold out... since all the new cards are, are just year-old video cards on steroids. $600 for the Voodoo 5 is just plain overkill and overly expensive!
Sony unveiled their 650MB MiniDisc digital video recorder at COMDEX (information at C|Net's COMDEX coverage)... it would be nice to see an equivalent version of the high capacity MD as an audio MD. Sony also has a consumer MiniDisc deck that would connect up to a PC via a serial port and digital or analog out to record and send the TOC track and disc names to the device, which then writes it out to the disc. What I would like to see is a iLink/FireWire version of a 650MB Data/Audio MD... that would be able for use with ATRAC and MP3 audio and MPEG videos.
There was a debate about the pronounciation of Linux and Linus here before... I personally say both `lie-nucks' and `lin-ix' since I really don't care. But anyways... it's `Yet Another Linux Plug by the Media'
I received two copies of FreeBSD (2.2 and 3.2) on DVD's already... but it's no use to me right now since I don't have a DVD-ROM in my computer.
They are very rare, so I'm definitely going to keep it for myself;)
Anywho... it's nice to see that more and more orgs and companies are making DVD-ROM a very reliable and smart storage solution. I wouldn't mind buying a subscription of DVD's that mirror the data on ftp.cdrom.com:)
Being a native Oregonian (unlike many other people who live in the state...yes you former Califs), this ruling is a joyous victory for us.
AT&T/TCI should not close cable access to ISPs (although I will soon be using DSL), mostly since cable access is the only way people can access the Internet. ISPs should be able to provide any feasable technology to their customers without having to go through hell and back with large Telcos and Cable companies.
Not only was the government blindsided by the merger, but now they have to listen to all of the gripes, lawsuits, etc., that people are shoving into the government's orifices (and yes, there are many of them).
Stop the ISP vs. AT&T/TCI insanity and allow complete access to the nerves of the Internet!
Slashdot Mirror
I have wiped and installed 4.0-RELEASE my company's DNS caching machine (which was running FreeBSD 3.2) and so far, the machine takes less time to boot up and to go through the process of downloading and updating any changed DNS maps.
Recompiling the kernel definitely takes less time, so I guess I could say that the performance on the machine (which is a P5-200 with 48MB of RAM and a 1GB hard drive) has improved and can handle several more EMACS sessions (I like `ee' for it's ease of use) than before.
Of what I've heard, USB support is much better now, which would help improve desktop support. Unfortunately, FreeBSD is not quite as desktop-ready as Linux when it comes to drivers, some appliations and possibly ease of use, but all of those things should be caught up in no time.
I haven't used the multimedia stuff on FreeBSD since most of my work on it is setting up mail, DNS and FTP servers.
To decode the Alpha processor model number (based on 21x64)
The `21' stands for the processors series
The `x' stands for the actual revision of the processor when based from the original 21064
The `64' stands for 64-bit
I know that AMD has already released information that they will be making the Professional and Select versions of the Athlon processor, but right now Intel is slipping on the high-end workstation side.
.18 micron processors (which are at least $100 cheaper and their closest Xeon cousin).
News.com had an article stating that Dell and HP will not be using some of Intel's newer Pentium III Xeon processors because the processors cost too much and don't provide that much more performance over the new Pentium III
Currently, AMD has been pushing at the consumer and middle-level workstations, but not enough at the high-end workstation and server market enough. With the Camino stink, the possible EU ban on the Pentium III processors, and the cost/performance problems with Rambus... Intel has opened themselves to losing some of their share in the workstation market.
With VIA producing their new PC133/AGP 4x Athlon chipset, this might help Micron and HP to look more at the Athlon processors as a workstation processor and start pushing those workstations at possibly a lower price than their Pentium III counterparts. If AMD starts working on a more robust and more flexible chipset (read: supports multiple processors, possible support for DDR RAM or Rambus, 64-bit PCI and even on-board Firewire), they might be able to influence Dell to start making Athlon-based Precision workstations or Athlon-based PowerEdge servers (running Windows NT, Linux or even FreeBSD!)
Don't worry about it ;)
It just never really entered my mind until after I submitted the post... but people are now informed...
If AMD pulls the right strings and work at it, they can help push along the PC200 development quicker and cheaper (well... at least when compared to RAMBUS anyways).
I did read that article about the difference between running a processor with it's cache at original speed and at a lower speed. I do agree (and that's why I stated that the FPU marks are higher on the 750Mhz) that lowering the L2 cache speed really doesn't affect performance in many cases, but in some cases it can.
;)
I did leave out some of that in my post, but thanks for adding that
One thing AMD does need to do is bump up the bus speed and/or try to push for PC200 RAM (which I think there was a link on Anand's page this morning... 8am PST). That would really start things up in the high-end workstation and server market.
At http://www.hardocp.com, they have an article on how to remove the casing around the AMD Athlon processors and expose the `slug' and the cache chips. But if you choose to leave the casing on, any SECC1 cooling fan will cool those suckers down!
.18 micron process, the chip `should' run cooler than the 700Mhz .25 micron Athlon. But in any case, those things radiate 90+ watts of heat, which is a lot for a processor, but not as bad as some of the DEC Alpha, Pentium !!! 600+ Mhz, and the newer SPARC processors. The Alpha's can radiate over 120 watts of heat. Hey! With a dual processor Alpha system... I might be able to make some toast, since it does tend to toast x86 systems running Linux ;)
There is supposed to be several articles on how to convert a SECC1 or SECC2 alpha heatsink to fit on a bare Athlon processor, but the article isn't done yet.
Since the processor is manufactured using the
Of what I've heard... AMD is working on their new chipset that will handle dual and quad processor setups, with RAMBUS and AGP 4x. There was a rumour that the new chipset is set to debut late Q1 of 2000, but the source didn't have a firm answer from AMD nor from any of the motherboard manufacturers.
There is a very nice review of the new 750Mhz Athlon over at http://anandtech.com
The review states that the new Athlon's external L2 cache does not run at 1/2 CPU speed but rather at 1/2.5 of CPU speed. So L2 cache dependant programs don't perform quite as well on the 750Mhz Athlon as anticipated. According to the review, the processor's FPU marks are (of course) faster than it's 700Mhz brother, but does the extra cost justify the minimal performance increase?
Many people would say no (including me), but remember that the consumers don't care about the internals of the processor, but rather care about the Mhz rating... That's why both Intel and AMD have pushed out 700+ Mhz processors already, even though their previous roadmaps show that they weren't going to push out those processors until Q1 or Q2 of 2000.
Anywho... just to inform you guys about the difference in the L2 cache...
It sounds like a decent solution for very low-end and inexpensive computers... just like their i810 chipset (which of course had it's slew of problems). I wonder if the new integrated video in the `processor' will be just like their video chipset attempt called the i740. Sure the i740 chipset was cheap, but the performance was equivalent with it's price... very low.
;)
I think the `processor' will probably be very useful in handheld/portable computers... and help lower prices of laptops even more. Hey... there might be competition with the iBook
I wonder how the announcement will make the video chipset makers (like ATI, 3dfx, Riva, etc) feel.... could this mean more competition or `yet another strong-arm Intel tactic'?
I know it isn't really emulation... that's why I surrounded the word emulation without slashes. It's my way to say that it's not really what it means, but it's the only word I can think of at that moment.
;)
I was running `top' to see how much space in memory was used for WordPerfect... and the Linux version used about 1MB more than the ported version. But 1MB really doesn't kill me since I have 256MB installed on that machine.
But so far... `top' states that neither of my machines (one with 256MB of RAM and one with 64MB of RAM) hasn't used swap space yet. I guess that's a good thing
I partially agree with you in that US$995 seems expensive... but many companies want a solution that is already pre-built and ready to go without too much of a hassle. Also... cheaper solutions may end up having higher TCO than their more expensive counterpart.
Even the company I work for paid well over $1000 for our firewall setup running off of a customized Linux kernel (I don't know the version or anything like that). But the system itself does have it's nice tools, and has it's problems as well.
As I have said before, many people can make a Firewall/Router from $200 worth of equipment running OpenBSD or FreeBSD (I'd recommend the former, although I know people who have made their own firewall running off of FreeBSD 3.2-STABLE).
Of course there are companies that think `you get what you pay' and purchase $20,000 firewall solutions and think that a homemade or an unknown company-made firewall won't cut it. There are situations that they are correct in choosing the very expensive solution... but not all solutions fit in every situation.
Just to wrap up my rambling... to some people... US$995 is too expensive... for those people... you can build just a great firewall for $200 (which I'm working on right now)... to the rest of the people (mostly large corporations where security is a huge issue and concern), $995 is miniscule.
It's kind of nice to see another BSD distribution (albeit it's a commercial version of BSD) pick up on the Linux /emulation/ feature.
/emulation/ may not be perfect under FreeBSD, but it allows me to run Linux versions of Pine 4.20, Netscape 4.7, and WordPerfect (although the FreeBSD port is a bit faster and more stable, but the Linux version uses a bit less RAM).
Sure the
Something I would really like to see more of would be more companies port [free or non-free] software over to xBSD. The market share for xBSD isn't as huge as the Linux share, but many people still choose BSD over Linux for one reason or another. Just like the previous Sun JDK port for FreeBSD article, many companies are pushing for Linux a bit too much... remember, the Open Source movement's goal is to provide the ability to share software and source freely to anyone... and to help provide alternatives to the current software out there.
It seems that Paul Allen has been buying or venturing into the Multimedia, [Tele]Communications and high technology fields lately. Could it be that he wants to find a niche to show that he is better than Bill Gates in some manner?
I agree that ZDTV isn't the best channel or property, but to some people, it's something that many wanna-be geeks want and like.
It may be a very good solution for a small or mid-sized business who needs to have a firewall up and running without too much hassle. It's true that there are many software-based solutions out there... I'd prefer a tightened hardware-based firewall solution if security is the biggest issue (which it is for many companies, including the one I work for).
:)
But for $995, many people would rather piece together a 486/33 machine with 16MB of RAM and two ISA network cards...place Open/FreeBSD and close out the ports that aren't needed and lock it down tight... heck... I might actually do that
The Voodoo2 may be outdated by today's standard (when compared to the GeForce 256, Voodoo 4/5, etc.) but it still does very decent graphics for a 3D-only card. I'd rather spend $50 on a Voodoo2 then spend $300 on a 2D/3D card just to play a game or two, maybe once or twice a week. Just remember that there is still a market for the Voodoo2 card/chipset as there is still a market for the AMD K6-2 350Mhz processor. If I wanted the best in everything and had the money to pay for it, I would still hold out... since all the new cards are, are just year-old video cards on steroids. $600 for the Voodoo 5 is just plain overkill and overly expensive!
Sony unveiled their 650MB MiniDisc digital video recorder at COMDEX (information at C|Net's COMDEX coverage)... it would be nice to see an equivalent version of the high capacity MD as an audio MD. Sony also has a consumer MiniDisc deck that would connect up to a PC via a serial port and digital or analog out to record and send the TOC track and disc names to the device, which then writes it out to the disc. What I would like to see is a iLink/FireWire version of a 650MB Data/Audio MD... that would be able for use with ATRAC and MP3 audio and MPEG videos.
There was a debate about the pronounciation of Linux and Linus here before... I personally say both `lie-nucks' and `lin-ix' since I really don't care. But anyways... it's `Yet Another Linux Plug by the Media'
I forgot to add... the port is an unsupported port of the Sun JDK 1.1.8 binaries, docs, and examples.
I have used it and it is a bit quicker than JDK 1.1.8 running on my Solaris 7/x86 boot (still slower than JDK 1.1.8 on WinNT though)
I guess there's a port of the JDK 1.1.8 for FreeBSD available.... That's FreeBSD 100 / Linux... umm... -1?
I received two copies of FreeBSD (2.2 and 3.2) on DVD's already... but it's no use to me right now since I don't have a DVD-ROM in my computer.
;)
:)
They are very rare, so I'm definitely going to keep it for myself
Anywho... it's nice to see that more and more orgs and companies are making DVD-ROM a very reliable and smart storage solution. I wouldn't mind buying a subscription of DVD's that mirror the data on ftp.cdrom.com
I think I've seen some computers that are built within a keyboard case (ooh.. the days of the Amigas and Commedores...hehe)
Some have Intel 233MMX procs, 32MB of RAM, and a 2.1+ GB hard drive... I think they might include a CD-ROM as well...
The company advertises these computers on the print version of InfoWorld [http://www.infoworld.com].
I don't remember the name of the company, but if it comes to me, I'll post it!
Well, it must be a perfect match since both will be slow and buggy...
:)
it adds a new meaning to the words crash and bus
I completely agree, since the trojan horse just pops open a certain port or two so the client proggie can worm inside.
A *real* security hole would be to find a way to get control of the OS without having a piece of software running on the receiving end of the attack.
This kind of "tool" just makes things worse by lying and passing FUD around the net.
Being a native Oregonian (unlike many other people who live in the state...yes you former Califs), this ruling is a joyous victory for us.
AT&T/TCI should not close cable access to ISPs (although I will soon be using DSL), mostly since cable access is the only way people can access the Internet. ISPs should be able to provide any feasable technology to their customers without having to go through hell and back with large Telcos and Cable companies.
Not only was the government blindsided by the merger, but now they have to listen to all of the gripes, lawsuits, etc., that people are shoving into the government's orifices (and yes, there are many of them).
Stop the ISP vs. AT&T/TCI insanity and allow complete access to the nerves of the Internet!