Fastest US Supercomputer Runs Linux

jgercken writes "The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has brought online a 11.8 teraflops supercomputer based on the Linux operating system, comprised of ~2,000 Itanium processors, and assembled by HP. Touted to be the fastest unclassified computer in the US, its main duties will be atmospheric chemistry, systems biology, catalysis and materials science."

Yes...

[MikeXpop]

But does it run Linux?

::ducks::

SCO

[TedCheshireAcad]

Whoa, that's gonna cost them in SCO licenses.

But seriously, I wonder what kind of stand governmental implementations of Linux are taking on the fiaSCO.

What about the Powerstack?

[tcd004]

They clearly aren't considering the Powerstack 5000 [lostbrain.com]

tcd004

But the true test

[DaLiNKz]

Can it run Quake II properly with 200 bots set to godlike abilities? ;)

Maybe they can spare some CPU time...

[pVoid]

for the actual power grid to avoid the catastrophic meltdowns we just recently had... instead of frolicking about with the bees and flowers.

Re:Yes...

[Cpt_Kirks]

and, wait for it...imagine a beowolf cluster of these!

Its main duties...

[Brian Dennehy]

will be atmospheric chemistry, systems biology, catalysis and materials science.

And the occasional game of Doom III... at a frame rate of 24 fps (if you're lucky).

Strange

[Timesprout]

Being the Department of Energy I though they would have used AMD chips so they could use the excess heat to drive a power plant.

Kinda makes you wanna....

[niko9]

jump up an say "Well smack my ass and call me Sally!"

Re:Maybe they can spare some CPU time...

[Blaine Hilton]

Perhaps they were testing the system, and that is what caused the whole power grid to fall apart...

Should I be making and wearing that tin-foil cap now?

Re:But the true test

[unc_samurai]

(Insert WHOPPR voice)
Shall-we-play-a-game?

They've brought it online...

[MoThugz]

Now, let's see if we can /. the world's fastest linux powered unclassified computer.

Got URL?

Yay!

[Bridog]

RC5-1024 here we come!

Call me back in about 200 years.

Re:Fastest Unclassified...

[magores]

Quick porn, and lots of storage for the really good pics.

Thats my guess.

Re:What about the classified ones?

[Anonymous Coward]

It is widely speculated that they are trying to brute force public keys used by foreign governments

Nonsense, they are just trying to figure out how to make the perfect cup of Earl Grey tea.

Re:What about the classified ones?

[Ctrl-Z]

Especially not the people running them.

Guarantee

[oobar]

I will personally bludgeon to death anyone who posts a "Beuwulf cluster" joke to this story. Let's just get that out of the way...

that sounds good

[toddhunter]

But according to Apple the G5 is 10% quicker under their latest benchmark tests.

Hot damn

[ArmorFiend]

I wonder what kind of FPS they get in TuxRacer...

Re:Yes...

[McAddress]

but more importantly, can it be /.'ed?

Re:Guarantee

[Creepy Crawler]

FINE.

I wonder if we could make these SMP enabled??

(dons anti-bludgeoning device)

Re:Kinda makes you wanna....

[primus_sucks]

Can you post some links to that please!

Re:Yes...

[Gleng]

I don't think even the Death Star could /. this bitch.

Re:What about the classified ones?

[JordanH]

• No one knows what operating systems they run,...

No one?? Really??

*Boggle*

but what I -really- wanna know is....

[Anonymous Coward]

cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep -i bogo

? :)

Re:SCO

[Zork the Almighty]

Licences! We don need no stinkin' licences!

I, for one...

[kdsolutions]

... welcome our new 11.8 TFLOP overlord.

Hello, HAL.

But does it run SCO?

[Axe]

We all know it is a superior system. And with $1.5M in licensing fees they will collect for this particular installation, they will develop it even further.

Re:Grid Computing and AI

[sco08y]

I'm not EVEN going to look at it until YOU put in more exclamation points!!!!!!!!! and BOLD TEXT!!!!!!!!

The RADICAL NAVIGATION BAR is absolutely AMAZING!!!!!!!!! That kind of NATURAL CAMOUFLAGE of VITAL NAVIGATION ELEMENTS is a SUPER-COOL way to design GROOVY WEB SITES!!!!!!!!!

Re:Yes...

[Nunar]

Linux? Come on, let's get to the important stuff...

Will it run SETI??

I have a few questions about Windows on this thing

[rkuris]

First, how many reboots would it take to install any MS OS?

Second, does MS even RUN on something like that (i.e., is it even POSSIBLE to utilize the processors)?

And, finally, how long would it take for it to be infested with SoBig?

Re:What about the classified ones?

[DanThe1Man]

It is widely speculated that they are trying to brute force public keys used by foreign governments

So can foreign governments sue them for violateing the DMCA?

Re:the japan supercomputer

[Sciamachy]

Shouldn't that be "Earth emulator", since as we all know, the Earth is itself a very powerful supercomputer built to find the Question that fits the Answer to the meaning of Life the Universe and Everything (42)...?

It's not vaporware; there's code. Wierd code.

[Animats]

There's a huge download available, and it's in Perl, so you can try to figure it out. The download is huge because it has "skins", and they're all stored as large PNG files.

This seems to be something you run via a CGI server, so multiple copies of itself interact via that route. I think.

Check out EULA.txt in the sources:

• Further, you may not access or use our Services if you are, or are directly related to, an employee/member of any or all of the following entities:
  • Microsoft (software production company)
    SCO (software licensing company)
    AOL/Time Warner (media conglomerate)
    Disney (media conglomerate)
    McDonalds (fast food chain)
    Taco Bell (fast food chain)
    Bayer (pharmaceutical production company)
    DuPont (plastics production company)
    Anheuser/Busch (alcohol production company)
    De Beers (diamond trading company)
    Dell (computer production company)
    Intel (microprocessor production company)
    Exxon/Mobil (petroleum trading company)
    Texaco/Chevron (petroleum trading company)
    The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
    The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
    ABSOLUTELY ANY Local, State, Federal, or International LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
    ABSOLUTELY ANY Local, State, Federal, or International INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
    ABSOLUTELY ANY Local, State, Federal, or International MILITARY FORCE
    ABSOLUTELY ANY Bank, Credit Union, Insurance Agency, or other primarily finance-related institution
    ABSOLUTELY ANY Illuminist, Non-Human, Facist, or Evil organized institution
    

GridShell v0.97, feauturing MORE INTELLIGENCE

SCO?

[raehl]

McBride: We have learned that your government secret agency is using Linux IP in violation of our intellectual property rights.

Secret Government Agency: We have learned that SCO owes billions of dollars in back taxes, and that you have an affinity for barnyard animals.

McBride: But I havn't been on a farm in 40 years!

Secret Government Agency: That's not what these pictures generated by our new Linux supercompter say.

Re:Yes...

[Anonymous Coward]

I like the way this thread is going. Looks like we've got all of our favorite cliches out of the way.

I recommend that the script for submitting stories automatically posts a "beowulf" post, a "welcome our new [variable] masters" post, SCO post, and Yakov Smirnov post. Just get them outta the way quick.
Although I suspect some of you won't appreciate this, judging by how much you enjoy doing it yourselves.

wow!

[NickRipley]

and Linux is also running on the slowest computer in the US: my old 486 with 4 megs of RAM.

ha ha

Teraflops schmeraflops!

[Anonymous Coward]

How many bogomips, dammit?!

Re:SCO

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, they should switch to Windows. It would be cheaper

Imagine a Beowulf Cluster of power plants

[po8]

Its main duties will be atmospheric chemistry, systems biology, catalysis and materials science.

IOW, studies in dealing with the power consumption of 2000 Itanium processors.

Re:SCO

[tomhudson]

Nah, just RIAA math , 'cause these are FAST cpus.