Will Linux's use in major supercomputers help the desktop users?

[Calixte]

I read this (http://www.linux-foundation.org/weblogs/amanda/2010/06/02/linux-adds-to-super-computing-dominance-good-news-for-linux-users/) blog post from Amanda McPherson (Vice President of Marketing and Developer Programs at the Linux Foundation) that argues that the overwelming use of Linux on supercomputers will help Linux in general (including regular desktop users) because "the work accomplished by the Super Computer manufacturers (IBM, HP, Fujitsu, Cray and so on) is poured back into the kernel"

Do you agree with her?

PS: I've created a poll on which you can vote here:
http://techhaze.com/2010/06/what-supercomputers-mean-to-linux/

looking forward to reading your opinion :)

[NightwishFan]

I suppose it does not hurt to have major corporations wanting to back your product.

[alexan]

The today work of a supercomputer, will made tomorrow by your wristwatch. So.. yes, so long there's effectiveness of the GPL licences: the work made on supercomputers will get back to standard linux kernel.

[jflaker]

I read this (http://www.linux-foundation.org/weblogs/amanda/2010/06/02/linux-adds-to-super-computing-dominance-good-news-for-linux-users/) blog post from Amanda McPherson (Vice President of Marketing and Developer Programs at the Linux Foundation) that argues that the overwelming use of Linux on supercomputers will help Linux in general (including regular desktop users) because "the work accomplished by the Super Computer manufacturers (IBM, HP, Fujitsu, Cray and so on) is poured back into the kernel"

Do you agree with her?

PS: I've created a poll on which you can vote here:
http://techhaze.com/2010/06/what-supercomputers-mean-to-linux/

looking forward to reading your opinion :)

Linux in supercomputing is the ONLY solution because the OS can be customized to work how it is required.

Having use in a supercomputer means nothing to the average user, Much like explaining the inner workings of a car to the average driver, it has no meaning...all they want to do is turn the key, put it in drive and GO!

[alexan]

Having use in a supercomputer means nothing to the average user, Much like explaining the inner workings of a car to the average driver, it has no meaning...all they want to do is turn the key, put it in drive and GO!

also cluster technology and virtualization also did mean nothing for averange user... until coreduo(quad/i5/i7...) cpu and virtualbox did came out.

[Calixte]

Linux in supercomputing is the ONLY solution because the OS can be customized to work how it is required.

Not really. Although 81% of the top 500 supercomputers run the Linux Kernel, there are still other OS's present such as Unix (still customizable, I admit) or even Windows.
Also, not all supercomputers use a customized OS. the Columbia supercomputer at NASA for example runs Suse Linux Enterprise 9.

[Sporkman]

The today work of a supercomputer, will made tomorrow by your wristwatch.

Will wristwatches exist tomorrow?

[ebasa]

Who know? After all the Space Program gave us Tang and Velcro...

[lostinxlation]

The key to the super computing is how fast it can process the numbers and how efficiently each processors communicate. The former is nowadays achieved by MPP system, but your desktop doesn't have that many processors that required highly sophisticated parallel processing argorithm.. And the latter. the efficiency of communications is crucial if you have many processors, but you don't have a system that needs it. Basically, the market requirement is totally different between super computers and desktops and they don't have much to share.

[jnorthr]

where can i get one of these russian super-computers, my java gui is just too slowwwww.........:)

[McRat]

I would think so. It's trickle down.

First to use any new code would be large organizations, who would only use a fraction of it, but would also develop "smaller" features for their systems.

Then medium sized systems, who would use mostly the secondary code from the large corps, and add some "smaller" of their own.

Etc.

It's like the Space Program. They had to develop "impossible" technology to get to the moon. At first their tech was only used by large corps, then medium, and now us.

Everyone depends on chips, lasers and satellites now, but the tech to make them at first was out of the range of normal businesses.

[mickie.kext]

Supercomputers of today are home computers of tomorow.

[alexan]

Will wristwatches exist tomorrow?

You will always find someone that will be fine with watch... their wrist: they are handy. :P


Supercomputers of today are home computers of tomorow.
You know, with all the netbook/smartphone stuff... I am no longer that secure that "computer for home" will keep their appeal.

[earthpigg]

Supercomputers of today are home computers of tomorow.

beat me to it.

iirc: Deep Blue, a supercomputer that famously beat the worlds finest human chess player, is less powerful than a modern $1500 laptop.

Deep Blue ran IBM's AIX, which was non-free software.

However, in 2010, IBM sells Linux supercomputers and have given a lot back to Linux since the days of Deep Blue. It wouldn't be beyond the pale of reason to conjecture that some of the coding done for Deep Blue has since made it's way into Linux -- either via IBM's code contributions, or via independent development by IBM employees that had learned a thing or two from past AIX development. (shhh, don't tell SCO a Linux user said that!)

[jflaker]

also cluster technology and virtualization also did mean nothing for averange user... until coreduo(quad/i5/i7...) cpu and virtualbox did came out.

Ask someone who is a regular user (not a power user) about VirtualBox....<deer in the headlights>

[jflaker]

The key to the super computing is how fast it can process the numbers and how efficiently each processors communicate. The former is nowadays achieved by MPP system, but your desktop doesn't have that many processors that required highly sophisticated parallel processing argorithm.. And the latter. the efficiency of communications is crucial if you have many processors, but you don't have a system that needs it. Basically, the market requirement is totally different between super computers and desktops and they don't have much to share.

Windows wastes so many flops doing stuff other than working for the user...tis why you will never see it past the average file server

[Artemis3]

Fastra II?

http://fastra2.ua.ac.be/wp-content/gallery/fastra2/thumbs/thumbs_IMG_0435.JPG (http://fastra2.ua.ac.be/)

[Shining Arcanine]

I read this (http://www.linux-foundation.org/weblogs/amanda/2010/06/02/linux-adds-to-super-computing-dominance-good-news-for-linux-users/) blog post from Amanda McPherson (Vice President of Marketing and Developer Programs at the Linux Foundation) that argues that the overwelming use of Linux on supercomputers will help Linux in general (including regular desktop users) because "the work accomplished by the Super Computer manufacturers (IBM, HP, Fujitsu, Cray and so on) is poured back into the kernel"

Do you agree with her?

PS: I've created a poll on which you can vote here:
http://techhaze.com/2010/06/what-supercomputers-mean-to-linux/

looking forward to reading your opinion :)

It will probably help with hardware compatibility.

[lostinxlation]

Linux in supercomputing is the ONLY solution because the OS can be customized to work how it is required. !
Only Solution ?
Customization on kernel for each users isn't something that just started. You can take Delorean and go back to 20 years ago where all the super computers were running their own operating systems. The operating systems back then were customized for each user's need and that was how super computers were sold.
Only difference between now and then is they now use the same operating system that anyone can TRY to customize, but that doesn't necessarily mean the users actually customize it by themselve. Most of the customization is done by manufacturers, because they know the best about their computers.

You might be thinking about Windows, but Win has been a minor leaguer in HPC field and doesn't apply for the customization debate.

[jerenept]

Fastra II?

http://fastra2.ua.ac.be/wp-content/gallery/fastra2/thumbs/thumbs_IMG_0435.JPG (http://fastra2.ua.ac.be/)

Where can I get one (get rid of this Sempron)