Re: Informix running on Linux

No matter what this looks like, I'm not really taking a shot at big-name vendors, I'm just pointing out some experiences I've had. On 28 May 97 at 2:15, Denham.M@amstr.com wrote: > One good reason for not doing so is the way linux is supported. > Until recently this was largely achieved by talented part-timers > with enough enthusiasm to dig into problems. > > If you run into a problem, you can generally be assured that > someone, sometime will solve it. All you have to do is wait. Even > some businesses are prepared to work with software maintained in > this way. > > Compare this to the relationship that informix undoubtedly have with > the likes of HP and Sun. I would be surprised if their partnerships > do not include some sort of service level agreements over OS bug > resolution. This is probably an essential ingredient in the effort > to maintain service to customers. Puh-leeze!! Does anybody remember the great HPUX10.01/OnLine 7.1x debacle? There was a list of HPUX patches yea-long needed to get the damn thing to work and nobody knew what they were. The patches were available, but neither Informix nor HP seemed too interested in passing the info on "to maintain service to their customers". And I;ve had similar hassles with Sun, IBM, Siemens, DG, you name it. Every time I've had a problem with Linux it's been resolved in far less time than I can generally expect from a "big-name" vendor. And I think I can sum up big-name vendor UNIX support as follows: > If you run into a problem, you can generally be assured that > someone, sometime will solve it. All you have to do is wait. In general, I have found the support from these vendors to be done as follows: > ... this _is_ largely achieved by talented _full_-timers > with enough enthusiasm to dig into problems. If there's no enthusiasm, they still get paid the same. There are internal politics which means that certain bugs receive higher priority, because (say) a major Oracle deal depends on it, etc., etc. This is not a criticism of the hardware vendors - business needs drive the business, in the same situation I would probably do the same things. But there is *no* guarantee of better support from a commercial UNIX than Linux. I've been on the customer's end of the table long enough to know how these things happen. There's no real difference between a vendor's UNIX developers and the Linux bunch, except: 1. There are more Linux developers out there; 2. You can talk to these Linux developers who will always accept constructive criticism and will always fix things; 3. You can get the Linux source code, so if they won't fix it, you can. While there may be valid technical reasons for not porting to Linux (as Jonathan has mentioned), support is definitely *not* one of them. > No doubt I am in for an ear bending here. You most assuredly are... :-) That'll be $0.02, please. -- Ciao, Billy Nose to the ground and ear to the grindstone in: Johannesburg, Murder Capital of the World GEMINI May 21 - June 20 You are quick and intelligent and a thinker. People like you because you are bisexual. However, you are inclined to expect too much for too little. This means you are a cheap bastard. Geminis are liars, notoriously lousy lovers and thrive on incest.