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What Sun got wrong

692 points · 437 comments · chmaynard

  1. flanked-evergl · · focus · HN ↗
    Solaris was worse than Linux, and SPARC was worse than Intel. A lot worse.

    Even ZFS was way better integrated with the Linux kernel even while Solaris was supposedly maintained.

    1. pjmlp · · focus · HN ↗
      Not in 2000, at my employer back then, our Linux server was only good as MP3 storage exposed via Samba/NFS.

      All development and production deployments was being done across Solaris, Aix and HP-UX in regards to UNIX flavours.

      1. vkazanov · · focus · HN ↗
        Well...

        Around 1998-2000 my dad made a little business out of setting up linux servers on commodity hardware in my hometown. Primitive social networks, LAN provider servers, mail servers all worked just fine. Not without some involved convincing, and tinkering, and kernel patching but they did work.

        One or two of the companies later became regional champions, running 100s of linux/x86/dell machines.

        None of them would be able to afford a proper Sun server. Sun would never bother itself with these original tiny contracts.

        It dont think Sun even stood a chance in this game. They couldnt even realize this happening!

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