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Hong Kong LinuxWorld 2000 43

Posted by CmdrTaco from the places-to-be dept.
Jestrzcap writes "The Hong Kong Linuxworld 2000 expo kicked off yesterday More than 30 exhibitors showed up to strut their stuff and show the world what opensource can do for you. Keynote speaker, Jon Maddog Hall, kicked things off, and showed off his new book, "Red Hat Linux for Dummies". This article also highlights the giant Cobalt Qube2 servers. "
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Hong Kong LinuxWorld 2000 More

Hong Kong LinuxWorld 2000

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  • Re:Cobalt Qube servers (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    /proc/cpuinfo says 250 BogoMIPS

    A "bogomip" is not supposed to be a true measure of speed. It's used for internal timing.

    That's why its called bogo, because its bogus.

  • printf("Hello, kitty!\n"); (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Cobalt Qube. Blah. Here's the real beef: Hello, Kitty PC [hongkong.com]. Now get me one of those!
  • FWIW, the new RAQs are x86 based. Check out the press release [cobalt.com].

    I guess they get more bang per buck, development is a bit easier, and their customers may well be more comfortable running "normal" hardware.

    Cobalt's products are cool - I just wish they were a bit cheaper...

    For something similar, have a look at this product [rebel.com] from rebel.com - they have some interesting bits of hardware generally.

    ...j
  • But on a server, things like good disk and network are more important than raw CPU speed. Well, I suppose it depends what you run, a heavily CGI-laden site like Slashdot needs lots of raw CPU as well.
  • Nope. Real men are too busy drinking beer and scoring with chicks to indulge in distro wars. (But we do use slackware, actually).
  • It doesn't even mean the same thing across different cores in the same family. On P6-core processors (PPro/P2/pre-Coppermine P3s) BogoMIPS happens to work out to about the same as the processor's clock speed. But that's not true on 386/486/Pentium, and likely not on the K6s and Athlons either. Throw in a totally different architecture (MIPS, Alpha, S/390 ;-) and it's a totally meaningless comparison.

  • Hmm (Score:2)

    by Signal 11 ( 7608 )
    Yeah, they would have adopted linux (after China), but somebody found out the feng shi was bad and had to destroy all copies of redhat. In the meantime, they aquired several linux companies like LinuxOne with an option on two more, and sold them to an overseas firm who sold them back 10 Linux firms like LinuxOne. Meanwhile money had been filtered through the switzerland accounts, and finally it came back that the originator of this had about 1 billion in cash and 13 companies that didn't exist.
  • She said it was small, around a hundred people, with just a few exhibitors and a good number of unmanned booths.
    Seems like it wasn't promoted enough.
    From the HKLUG's website, they are going to be charging for membership in the HKLUG. Seems like a bad idea to me.
    We need someone to go over there and start some advocacy.
  • Well, I do invlove in the HKLUG and know the guys out there - bascially being really materialistic out there we have trouble finding companies sponsoring us events and things - they cannot believe there is such "Free" things in life. So we have to charge a bit of membership fee and things, just to give us top up and things, and we will send members CDs and stuff.. I personally have put a lot of effort in helping them while I am out there (unfortunately I am studying in UK at the moment)..

    Anyway, HKLUG are fairly small at the moment - so there is a lot to be done and it takes time!

    Don't blame the poor guys!
  • Just so you know, there already is a "Linux for Dummies" book out, and it has been out for a few years. This new book is just focused on Redhat. (even though the other one is still Redhat centric) I doubt that imac users would buy this book seeing as they do not own a PC, so I really don't see where you are coming from on that remark.

    _joshua_
  • andyr [slashdot.org] wrote
    I expect better from a RISC machine that hopes to challenge intel.
    I believe they choose the MIPS chip because it ran cooler and didn't need a fan, thus reducing the cost and space. Given that the bottleneck is mainly in the bandwidth, the CPU is probably less of a concern than the disk-memory subsystem and the cache tuning parameters. It all comes down to getting smart technicans, I suspect that an old Unix expert could probably (given enough time) get more performance out of an out-dated box than a wet-behind-the-ears compsci grad with the latest gear. If we were to use a car analogy, the MHz would correspond to the revs/sec, the #functional units to the cylinders, and the memory the size of the gas tank. If someone merely bought over-sexed fan on wheels instead of a medium rev, high torque truck (not that I'm claiming the cobalt is a direct analogy) then it obviously won't pull its weight. To some engineers, a lot of excess heat usually indicates a high degree of inefficiency in the system so the lack of a fan may be a good indirect indication. Given that Cobalt doesn't seem to be worried about the hardware (I notice they're offering Intel components for their latest RaQ 3i) perhaps it is the precompiled software and management tools that is the compelling difference?

    If Cobalt were smart, they'd be offering component upgrades to their existing customers.

    LL

  • Re:Hmm (Score:2)

    by LL ( 20038 )
    Comes from the classic cowism

    "HONG KONG CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother - in - law at the bank, then execute a debt / equity swap with associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax deduction for keeping five cows. The milk rights of six cows are transferred via a Panamanian intermediary to a Cayman Islands company secretly owned by the majority shareholder, who sells the rights to all seven cows' milk back to the listed company. The annual report says that the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. Meanwhile, you kill the two cows because the fung shui is bad."

    Check out one source [smu.edu] for others.

    Hmmm ... what's with all this Linux-related bovine jokes anyway, CultoftheDeadCow, freshmeat, etc ... I don't have any beef with it but its behoofs me to point out that it could easily lead to the horn of a dilema if people stretch it too far.

    Arrrgghhh ... shooting myself
    LL
  • China is not a socialist country anymore. Marx's idea of state socialism did not turn out too good for the russians and the chinese. The communist party isn't really communist; they are one big tolitarian political entity doing whatever they please.
  • Wait, is this supposed to be a good thing? I realize that Linux should go more mainstream, but are we really ready right now for the readers of iMac for Dummies?

    Coming soon...
    Rocket Science for Dummies

    I haven't yet recovered from discovering that there is a whole range of "MCSE for Dummies" books. Explain a lot though, doesn't it?
  • Free trials of Linux to come? Yummy!

    Jon Maddog Hall, executive Director of Linux International. Halls speech, titled From Datacenter to Desktop, focused on applications built for Linux. Hall also held a signing ceremony for his latest book called Red Hat Linux for Dummies.

    Wait, is this supposed to be a good thing? I realize that Linux should go more mainstream, but are we really ready right now for the readers of iMac for Dummies [dummies.com]?

    Local ISP, Internet Access HK Limited was offering a total office automation and Internet package running on Redhat Linux Server OS and bundled with a Compaq ProLiant 400 server. The package comes with Web server, network fax server, file server applications, and on-site technical support.

    It's good that the Chinese get it, but why can't we? I wonder how many offices might switch over if an offer like this was available and highly publicized...
    ---------------
  • Folks, We run the cobalt (MIPS CPU) servers from http://www.vservers.com

    % uname -a
    Linux xxxx 2.0.34 #1 Thu Feb 25 21:04:19 PST 1999 mips unknown

    /proc/cpuinfo says 250 BogoMIPS

    I am disappointed in the speed of these boxes - they are half the speed of my 400Mhz Pentium.

    vserver % time sum up-1.1.9.iso
    126.31user 19.81system 2:41.37elapsed

    shakazulu % time sum up-1.1.9.iso
    76.89user 3.94system 1:26.68elapsed

    I expect better from a RISC machine that hopes to challenge intel.

    Cheers, Andy!

    --
    wizzy [wizzy.com]

  • I ran the sum command, to test the CPU speed. Any comments regarding disk or network would also apply to Intel hardware.

    My point is, what is all the hype over Cobalt [cobalt.com] ? Sounds like they are leveraging heavily off the hype of Linux.

    Cheers, Andy!

  • I believe they choose the MIPS chip because it ran cooler and didn't need a fan, thus reducing the cost and space

    That is an explanation I an live with ..

    perhaps it is the precompiled software and management tools that is the compelling difference?

    It runs Redhat Linux, recompiled from Source RPMs. This is problematic - I have found bugs in the db library, even after upgrading to that latest gcc and recompiling dbm and gdbm from source.

    If you are running a standard server, with Apache and Mail, it is probably fine. I tried to compile courier-imap, and had to Email the author for help.

    Cheers, Andy!

  • please keep taking your medication
  • now that is the coolest PC ever!
  • slackware? thats for accountants

    real men use Debian


  • Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
    A tale of a Hong Kong trip
    That started from LinuxWorld
    Aboard this open source ship.

    The mate was mighty Maddog Hall,
    The vendors brave and sure.
    RaQ 3i and Qube2 were whored that day
    For a free sourcin' tour, a free sourcin' tour.

    The products were the best in class,
    The eServer product was launched,
    If not for StarOffice and Applixware
    Office market would be lost, the office market would be lost.

    The show was stocked with wares from many Linux shops
    With SGI
    and Compaq too,
    IBM and HP,
    The Sybase guys
    With Gateway and LinuxTimes,
    Here on LinuxWorld Isle.

    So this is the thread of the Linux show,
    We wish we all were there,
    We'll have to make the best of things,
    since we couldn't afford the fare.

    SGI and Maddog too,
    Have made the show so very cool,
    Allowing folks to show their wares,
    Despite Feng Shi hordin' shares.

    No cost, no Bill and open sorce,
    Not a single MS screen,
    Like the "Red Hat for Dummies" read,
    As mainstream as can be.

    So join us here each show my freinds,
    You're sure to get a smile,
    Open source penetrates ole' Hong Kong
    Here on LinuxWorld' Isle."

  • There's a RedHat booth. I were there and picked up a few leaflets and brochures from RH. I'll say that this LinuxWorld Expo is a nice start of Linux in Hong Kong, and I really expect a much bigger and better Linux event/exhibition next time.

    People here are starting to accept Linux. Give it some more time.

    --

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