20011023: OS support in Unidata

>From: Robert Mullenax <address@hidden>
>Organization: NMSU/NTSB
>Keywords: 200110231604.f9NG4p112960 platform support

Robert,

>I have to make (at least contribute significantly) a decision
>on the future of our systems at NSBF.  Apparently a very large
>percentage of Unidata is using Linux exclusively.

Yes, and more seem to be headed that way given the "bang for the buck"
that one can get with current PCs.  We don't really know why folks have
not thought much about going to Solaris x86, but I would venture to
guess that the reason is Sun's policy on supporting x86 as a server
only platform.

>Given this
>fact and the fact the the new Java apps that Don Murray and others
>are working on won't work at all on Solaris x86 due to lack of Java 3D
>support (and run slowly on SPARC machines), are we better off abandoning
>SPARC and Solaris x86 as well?

There are two comments that I would like to make here:

o the Java apps that are based on VisAD/Java3D _can_ work on Solaris x86
  IF (big if) one builds a shared library interface to Mesa for GL
  support.  We have done this in Unidata, but we (Don) were not entirely
  satisfied with the results (some of the problems related to Mesa)

o VisAD/Java3D runs well on Solaris SPARC

Given Sun's commitment for support for Solaris SPARC for Java3D, it
would be unwise to move away from this platform solely for fear that
the Metapps applications won't work.  Also, Solaris SPARC is the
primary development platform of the VisAD architect, Bill Hibbard.

>In other words, is Unidata likely
>(I know this is not known for sure) to only support Linux and Windows
>in the near future?

No.

>I am not asking this from a which is better
>standpoint, just from a practical standpoint.  I am talking
>about a 2-4 year time frame.  We are at the point where we could probably
>start asking for new hardware, and we are not in the position to do
>this very often.

We are not currently contemplating dropping support for any of the
platforms we currently support.  I should add, however, that when
pushed for resources, we always have to evaluate how important it is to
officially support any particular platform.  I can also add that the
OSes that are _least_ used in the Unidata community currently are
HP-UX, Compaq OSF/1, and AIX (in no particular order).  The platforms
that are most popular in the community currently are Solaris SPARC and
Linux.  Windows is also very popular, but, as you know, none of our
current offerings work under Windows "right out of the box".  Both Chiz
and I will be making a test of building our packages (GEMPAK and
McIDAS, respectively) under Cygwin on Windows "soon" (probably on
Windows 2000, and "soon" is a relative term :-).

>Thanks for any input you can provide (even a "we really don't know" is
>fine).

I hope the above is useful.

Tom