7 ms·

I've seen a picture posted on Slashdot how they server rack looks like. There are many very old machines, I am sure that at least one reason is fear that they b

by takeda 13y ago

I've seen a picture posted on Slashdot how they server rack looks like. There are many very old machines, I am sure that at least one reason is fear that they break during transportation. Found it: http://www.openbsd.org/images/rack2009.jpg http://www.openbsd.org/images/rack2009.jpg

sliverstorm 13y ago
Why not move the machines, and if the Amiga breaks down and they can't find a replacement, end Amiga support? I mean, that's not a wonderful outcome, but what would you prefer to see given the following options? a) Shut down OpenBSD b) Shut down Amiga support in OpenBSD I mean, is it even a hard choice? Besides, if there are many developers who like developing for Amiga, surely they would be able to find a replacement?
- d_theorist 13y ago
  Or hidden option c): ask people to donate money.
  - sliverstorm 13y ago
    Well, yes, clearly. But it's been a month since the initial ask, and this sort of "threat": the fact is right now, OpenBSD will shut down if we do not have the funding to keep the lights on. suggests the necessary $20k (cash) has not been forthcoming. P.S. I understand it's not a threat in the sense of ransom etc, but the most correct word is not coming to my mind.
    - lobotryas 13y ago
      I completely agree with your association. In my view OpenBSD is very plainly holding itself hostage for $20,000 cash and expecting everyone to accomodate them.
      - aaronem 13y ago
        Oh, right, I've seen this movie before. [1] [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JOGmXpe5I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JOGmXpe5I
    - transitionality 13y ago
      It's game theory. All three options exist, but the maintainers pretending that option b doesn't exist at this point in time increases the probability that option c will succeed. If the pretense doesn't work, be very much assured that they will go with option b.
- weland 13y ago
  The Amiga port isn't live. It hasn't been maintained for a while IIRC. There are two important points that shouldn't be forgotten about aggressively pushing cross-platform: it retains developers and exposes bugs. There's a great deal of usefulness behind it, beyond simply making it obvious that the workstations we get today are shit.
  - sliverstorm 13y ago
    Ok, Amiga was just an example I pulled off the top of my head. I am not suggesting all legacy platforms need to be cut. I'm suggesting that it's possibly an acceptable risk, and also if a replacement UltraSPARC simply cannot be sourced, there can't be that many developers working on UltraSPARC anyway. (Just as an example)
dmunoz 13y ago
That image has been present on the lower right corner of the openbsd homepage for a long time. Given the name of the image, I imagine it's been present since at least since 2009, but my (fuzzy) memory wants me to believe there has been an image of a rack there even before then.
osxrand 13y ago
Am I the only one who want's to organize and clean up those racks? :)
- DanBC 13y ago
  The collection of stuff in between the racks is making my neck itch.
crististm 13y ago
The AC instructions note made me smile. It reminded me of a post-it I left in the company lab with a diagram for how to do proper gigabit cross-overs. I could still find it there five years later after they rearranged the lab several times.
- bashinator 13y ago
  I thought most (if not all) gigabit Ethernet implementations auto-detect host-to-host connections and handle the crossover for you.
  - reeses 13y ago
    They all do now, but it's still an optional element of the standard.
    - teddyh 13y ago
      It was optional in 100Mbit. In gigabit, it is mandatory.
      - reeses 13y ago
        "Automatic MDI/MDI-X Conﬁguration is intended to eliminate the need for crossover cables between simi-lar devices. Implementation of an automatic MDI/MDI-X conﬁguration is optional for 1000BASE-T devices. The assignment of pin-outs for a 1000BASE-T crossover function cable is shown in Table 40-12 in 40.8." Here's a link that does not require IEEEXplore access: http://www.scribd.com/doc/46141801/802-3ab-1999 http://www.scribd.com/doc/46141801/802-3ab-1999
        teddyh 13y ago
        I say, I stand corrected. I was sure I read the opposite somewhere, but I would not dream of contesting your reference.
  - teddyh 13y ago
jsz0 13y ago
There must be more to it than that. Two racks aren't using $20k in electricity.
luckydude 13y ago
Huh, no Sun4/470? I wonder what happened to the one Theo got from me. Too slow I guess but it was a fun machine back in the day.

by takeda 13y ago

sliverstorm 13y ago

Why not move the machines, and if the Amiga breaks down and they can't find a replacement, end Amiga support? I mean, that's not a wonderful outcome, but what would you prefer to see given the following options? a) Shut down OpenBSD b) Shut down Amiga support in OpenBSD I mean, is it even a hard choice? Besides, if there are many developers who like developing for Amiga, surely they would be able to find a replacement?

d_theorist 13y ago
Or hidden option c): ask people to donate money.
- sliverstorm 13y ago
  Well, yes, clearly. But it's been a month since the initial ask, and this sort of "threat": the fact is right now, OpenBSD will shut down if we do not have the funding to keep the lights on. suggests the necessary $20k (cash) has not been forthcoming. P.S. I understand it's not a threat in the sense of ransom etc, but the most correct word is not coming to my mind.
  - lobotryas 13y ago
    I completely agree with your association. In my view OpenBSD is very plainly holding itself hostage for $20,000 cash and expecting everyone to accomodate them.
    - aaronem 13y ago
      Oh, right, I've seen this movie before. [1] [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JOGmXpe5I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JOGmXpe5I
  - transitionality 13y ago
    It's game theory. All three options exist, but the maintainers pretending that option b doesn't exist at this point in time increases the probability that option c will succeed. If the pretense doesn't work, be very much assured that they will go with option b.
weland 13y ago
The Amiga port isn't live. It hasn't been maintained for a while IIRC. There are two important points that shouldn't be forgotten about aggressively pushing cross-platform: it retains developers and exposes bugs. There's a great deal of usefulness behind it, beyond simply making it obvious that the workstations we get today are shit.
- sliverstorm 13y ago
  Ok, Amiga was just an example I pulled off the top of my head. I am not suggesting all legacy platforms need to be cut. I'm suggesting that it's possibly an acceptable risk, and also if a replacement UltraSPARC simply cannot be sourced, there can't be that many developers working on UltraSPARC anyway. (Just as an example)

dmunoz 13y ago

That image has been present on the lower right corner of the openbsd homepage for a long time. Given the name of the image, I imagine it's been present since at least since 2009, but my (fuzzy) memory wants me to believe there has been an image of a rack there even before then.

osxrand 13y ago

Am I the only one who want's to organize and clean up those racks? :)

DanBC 13y ago
The collection of stuff in between the racks is making my neck itch.

crististm 13y ago

The AC instructions note made me smile. It reminded me of a post-it I left in the company lab with a diagram for how to do proper gigabit cross-overs. I could still find it there five years later after they rearranged the lab several times.

bashinator 13y ago
I thought most (if not all) gigabit Ethernet implementations auto-detect host-to-host connections and handle the crossover for you.
- reeses 13y ago
  They all do now, but it's still an optional element of the standard.
  - teddyh 13y ago
    It was optional in 100Mbit. In gigabit, it is mandatory.
    - reeses 13y ago
      "Automatic MDI/MDI-X Conﬁguration is intended to eliminate the need for crossover cables between simi-lar devices. Implementation of an automatic MDI/MDI-X conﬁguration is optional for 1000BASE-T devices. The assignment of pin-outs for a 1000BASE-T crossover function cable is shown in Table 40-12 in 40.8." Here's a link that does not require IEEEXplore access: http://www.scribd.com/doc/46141801/802-3ab-1999 http://www.scribd.com/doc/46141801/802-3ab-1999
      - teddyh 13y ago
        I say, I stand corrected. I was sure I read the opposite somewhere, but I would not dream of contesting your reference.
- teddyh 13y ago

jsz0 13y ago

There must be more to it than that. Two racks aren't using $20k in electricity.

luckydude 13y ago

Huh, no Sun4/470? I wonder what happened to the one Theo got from me. Too slow I guess but it was a fun machine back in the day.