[OT] Rev on Linux PPC - Would you use it?

[Alex Rice]

On Oct 31, 2003, at 5:28 PM, Igor Couto wrote:

> So, IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER USING A LINUX PPC VERSION OF REV, please 
> DROP ME A LINE. If there is enough show of interest in this topic, 
> then I will message the RunRev team, and let them know that we'd 
> suppor their efforts in that area!

Not to flood the list with "me too's" but... me too. Looking at Rev's 
target audience, it makes a more sense to substitute Linux PPC for 
RS/6000 or HP-UX (or if a substitution is required- otherwise just add 
it in there with the platforms)

I've used LinuxPPC in the past, and one of my coworkers currently runs 
Linux development (not Rev development though) machines on old cast-off 
Macs. Occasionally you *will* run into bizarre hardware conflicts with 
LinuxPPC. Occasionally I couldn't get my Mac to boot Linux at all. 
Sometimes kernel panics. This was about 3 years ago.  Today, it's 
sometimes firmware issues. There was this one server that would not 
reboot after a power outage, because of some problem with the 
openfirmware. (not good for a server machine). So Linux PPC is 
definitely more bleeding edge then x86-PC Linux which much more widely 
used and tested.

It's an interesting point you make about getting $200 fully-featured  
Mac workstations. Old x86 PC slow computers are so abundant it's hard 
to even *give* them away. But the key phrase that I have to agree with 
is _fully-featured_. Macs are always "loaded". Modem, ethernet, sound, 
video.

The homogeneity of Mac hardware configurations is something that makes 
life easier as compared with the PC camp where who knows what 
combination of hardware is thrown into that beige box.

Alex Rice <alex at mindlube.com> | Mindlube Software | 
<http://mindlube.com>

what a waste of thumbs that are opposable
to make machines that are disposable  -Ani DiFranco