I have found that most code generation tools (the kind you program boubles and arrows in, like this one) will give you C code that looks like it's been obscurified on purpose. E.g. all states and variables are in an array called n[][] and the program is basically a big loop.
> What is so wrong with Intel protecting its' employees hard work? > I know if I worked at Intel, I sure as hell wouldn't want my competitors to take advantage of my innovations.
IHMO most drivers doesn't contain any real "innovations". There are ofcause exceptions like Windows printers with all processing done in the driver, where a company can see a competative edge given away if not closing the source.
But most are just a layer above the hardware, not revealing much at all about the actual "innovations", and most companies are just too afraid to release source code without a thurrow investigation of the concequenses... and because of that it never gets done
"ZDNet UK is reporting that Intel has promised to increase Linux support by releasing Linux drivers at the same time it releases Windows drivers for its hardware."
So, does this mean that Intel will stop releasing Windows drivers?:)
What do you do when the manufacturer goes belly up, or just descides to terminate the support for your product line? Just throw it out and buy a new piece of hardware?
The register has an old story about the new TCP/IP stack in Solaris 10, that is good reading.
A quick summary of the story:
The new stack has:
- Efficient at handling multiple NICs
- Low CPU usage (30% lower than Linux)
- Build for targeting 10/100 Gbps in the future. Has a new construction where it is possible to offload the cpu by routing packet to dedicated packet processing processors.
The last part seems like a preparation for the Sun hardware of tomorrow.
> And although it is less feature-rich and configurable than KDE, its behaviour seems more consistent. That is what businesses and Solaris' market wants.
That's right, Sun should keep KDE away from Solaris boxes. Experienced CDE-users could have a breakdown if they are suddenly exposed to a desktop with more than four settings:)
> By the way, the insides of a low-end-but-still-so-expensive Sun machine are so-o-o cheap, like IDE Seagate drives... why do they charge so much for them?
I agree. Especially if it is something they call a "server".
Although traditionally Sun called everything shipped without a graphics card for server. Back in the Sparc days a sparc4 server was cheaper than a sparc4 workstation. Same box basically, but one of them didnt have the graphics card..
Anyway, I have found that the low end workstations in their product line are really sad. IDE drives and terrible graphic cards. If you want something with the performance of a even semi-modern PC (P4 2.6 GHz) you have to buy a SunBlade 150+, and then shell out for a good enough graphics card just to get deacent 2D. Thats 2-3 times the price of the PC. And it's still not a high performer, just "almost-modern"
> SGI are turning to Linux, Sun will too. There'll be a few releases of both OS's first, though, IMHO.
There is the same story with the Sun hardware... the Ultrasparc architecture. It is hard for one company to keep up with development of their own CPU's for long. The latest word has been that they have put new core's on the ice, and instead try to spinn on the ones they already have.
It is hard to compete with the main stream hardware, and at the desktop it's definitely impossible to beat x86 at best bang for the buck. Soon it will be hard for Sun to beat them at best performance at all (performance regardess of price).
I'm using Solaris at work, and I'm no fan of Gnome, but compared with CDE I'll pick it any day....in reality I'm actually running KDE 3.2, installed in my home directory:)
Google has apparently noticed, and now neither litigious bastards or just plain bastards comes up with SCO. (This may not yet be true on all Google mirrors.)
Here is a sad update: It's not working any more
You can check out the screen shot though:
From litigiousbastards.com:
"Update: Unfortunately, it looks like Google wised up and removed SCO from the results list for a litigious bastards search. Here's a screenshot of the results of a "litigious bastards" search on January 27, 2004, when SCO was still the first result."
True, Solaris comes with CDE (and even OpenLook, if you prefer a really old UI), both IMHO less than usefull. But Sun also supports GNOME, and you get StarOffice with every Solaris license you buy.
Anyway, you complaints are hardly Sun's fault. You should blame your admin. At work we have Sun workstations with KDE 3, gcc, Mozilla and most of the other things I have at my Linux box at home
Anyone else notice something in the description of the opening for Senior Software Engineer?
Job Description: Design and develop systems-level software for Linux and provide systems support by performing the following duties... So despite everything, SCO is still betting on Linux
I'm suprised that they actually posted an add looking for a senior Linux developer on their website... after first betting the farm against Linux.
Slashdot Mirror
I have found that most code generation tools (the kind you program boubles and arrows in, like this one) will give you C code that looks like it's been obscurified on purpose.
E.g. all states and variables are in an array called n[][] and the program is basically a big loop.
Quite impossible to know whats going on
I tried googling for Program State Code Protection
:)
*hmm* The closest thing I found was:
West Virginia State Code - Farmland Protection Program
The govenment use almost the same words already... I guess it will turn out that Al Gore invented this thing too... not just the interweb thingy
The next step in their buisness plan is perhaps to do a SCO
How about suing another console vendor for $1 Billion for infringing on IP in their vaporware console?
> What is so wrong with Intel protecting its' employees hard work?
> I know if I worked at Intel, I sure as hell wouldn't want my competitors to take advantage of my innovations.
IHMO most drivers doesn't contain any real "innovations". There are ofcause exceptions like Windows printers with all processing done in the driver, where a company can see a competative edge given away if not closing the source.
But most are just a layer above the hardware, not revealing much at all about the actual "innovations", and most companies are just too afraid to release source code without a thurrow investigation of the concequenses... and because of that it never gets done
"ZDNet UK is reporting that Intel has promised to increase Linux support by releasing Linux drivers at the same time it releases Windows drivers for its hardware."
:)
So, does this mean that Intel will stop releasing Windows drivers?
> Who the hell cares besides RMS?
What do you do when the manufacturer goes belly up, or just descides to terminate the support for your product line?
Just throw it out and buy a new piece of hardware?
"...Intel has promised to increase Linux support by releasing Linux drivers at the same time it releases Windows drivers for its hardware"
I doubt that they will open souce their drivers. So the Linux developers will write their own anyway, whenever they can.
And personaly, as a user, I find open source drivers much more convenient.
The register has an old story about the new TCP/IP stack in Solaris 10, that is good reading.
A quick summary of the story:
The new stack has:
- Efficient at handling multiple NICs
- Low CPU usage (30% lower than Linux)
- Build for targeting 10/100 Gbps in the future. Has a new construction where it is possible to offload the cpu by routing packet to dedicated packet processing processors.
The last part seems like a preparation for the Sun hardware of tomorrow.
> And although it is less feature-rich and configurable than KDE, its behaviour seems more consistent. That is what businesses and Solaris' market wants.
:)
That's right, Sun should keep KDE away from Solaris boxes. Experienced CDE-users could have a breakdown if they are suddenly exposed to a desktop with more than four settings
> By the way, the insides of a low-end-but-still-so-expensive Sun machine are so-o-o cheap, like IDE Seagate drives... why do they charge so much for them?
I agree. Especially if it is something they call a "server".
Although traditionally Sun called everything shipped without a graphics card for server. Back in the Sparc days a sparc4 server was cheaper than a sparc4 workstation. Same box basically, but one of them didnt have the graphics card..
Anyway, I have found that the low end workstations in their product line are really sad. IDE drives and terrible graphic cards. If you want something with the performance of a even semi-modern PC (P4 2.6 GHz) you have to buy a SunBlade 150+, and then shell out for a good enough graphics card just to get deacent 2D. Thats 2-3 times the price of the PC. And it's still not a high performer, just "almost-modern"
> SGI are turning to Linux, Sun will too. There'll be a few releases of both OS's first, though, IMHO.
There is the same story with the Sun hardware... the Ultrasparc architecture. It is hard for one company to keep up with development of their own CPU's for long. The latest word has been that they have put new core's on the ice, and instead try to spinn on the ones they already have.
It is hard to compete with the main stream hardware, and at the desktop it's definitely impossible to beat x86 at best bang for the buck. Soon it will be hard for Sun to beat them at best performance at all (performance regardess of price).
I'm using Solaris at work, and I'm no fan of Gnome, but compared with CDE I'll pick it any day. ...in reality I'm actually running KDE 3.2, installed in my home directory :)
Google has apparently noticed, and now neither litigious bastards or just plain bastards comes up with SCO. (This may not yet be true on all Google mirrors.)
Here is a sad update: It's not working any more
You can check out the screen shot though:
From litigiousbastards.com:
"Update: Unfortunately, it looks like Google wised up and removed SCO from the results list for a litigious bastards search. Here's a screenshot of the results of a "litigious bastards" search on January 27, 2004, when SCO was still the first result."
True, Solaris comes with CDE (and even OpenLook, if you prefer a really old UI), both IMHO less than usefull. But Sun also supports GNOME, and you get StarOffice with every Solaris license you buy.
Anyway, you complaints are hardly Sun's fault. You should blame your admin. At work we have Sun workstations with KDE 3, gcc, Mozilla and most of the other things I have at my Linux box at home
From the faq at http://ir.sco.com/faq.cfm
Q. How many people does The SCO Group employ?
A. As of April 30, 2003, 339 employees.
It would be interesting to know how many they have now, almost 9 months later. And how many have been fired or jumped ship since.
Anyone else notice something in the description of the opening for Senior Software Engineer?
Job Description: Design and develop systems-level software for Linux and provide systems support by performing the following duties...
So despite everything, SCO is still betting on Linux
I'm suprised that they actually posted an add looking for a senior Linux developer on their website... after first betting the farm against Linux.