I should have written below the URI: "On this web
site is written:"
Linux was the first free OS to run on the Alpha
(in 32-bit mode).
Maybe. But runing in 32 bit mode on Alpha is typical Linux.
Instead of
doing it right from the beginning, make a kludge to get somthing running
in some way.
The 32-bit port was just temporary to get by until Linus and Compaq got the
64-bit port working.
NetBSD was the
first free 64-bit OS.
As I wrote.
It predated the 64-bit version
of Linux/Alpha by about five months.
Maybe. I don't care about Linux/Alpha.
I'm more of a SysV fan, so that's why I'm not big on NetBSD. I did try
NetBSD
on my Alphastation 500/500 (1.6), but I had problems with the network when I
tried to use GigE with Jumbo packets.
Linux did
support SMP on the Alpha in 64-bit mode long before NetBSD.
Sure. NetBSD/Alpha (and
NetBSD/VAX) SMP came with NetBSD 1.6. The
"problem" with SMP and NetBSD is that the NetBSD folks are doing things
The Right Way (C) (R) (TM) right from the start, even when The Right Way
(C) (R) (TM) takes longer. SMP needs a lot of well thought out
infrastructure work, especially on an OS that supports that many
platforms like NetBSD. After the 1.6 release with SMP base support many
platforms (notably sparc, macppc, i386) got SMP very quick.
The Linux SMP worked. As time went on, it worked better.
Back to the original question about an OS for an Alpha
to run MySQL:
What about Tru64? There is a US$ 99 hobbyist licence available. I like
NetBSD very much, but have to admit that Tru64 is a _far_ more capable
OS.
I really prefer Tru64. I'm really not happy that HP is going with the
inferior HP/UX instead.
--
Eric Dittman
dittman(a)dittman.net