[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux on IBM mainframes

[Chris Cox]

Linux Guru wrote:

> There was an article in the UK magazine LinuxForum which eventually 
> pointed me to this site and I thought someone might be interested in 
> this. Single users with no company info can get access to a shared 
> system. And those of you who fill the application with all the company 
> info can request a dedicated system with root access.  Pretty cool for 
> all those who want to use the system shown in all the TV ads lately.


We've installed SuSE and RH (the free downloadable versions anyway).
SuSE was the easiest to install for use and they'll even show you how
to download the beta (the expensive version) one.

RH was miserable.  Product costs a bundle and the downloadable version
has many issues (we had to fix quite a few things JUST TO INSTALL... had
to revamp the initrd with modules not provided).... once it came up,
there were other things that were kind of stupid... definitely a
quick hack together.. my guess, to have the checkbox since RH obviously
ignored the mainframe and let the SuSE guys take it on.  I guess they
figured it was worth some revenue after all.

We have not tried Turbo Linux yet.

We're running them in dedicated LPARs rather than in an VM
configuration (which seems to be what most people are wanting
to do).... though I've been told that somewhere in Sterling Commerce,
they've done it VM style as well.

Regards,
Chris