Q: About the AMD32/64 support with Skolelinux/Debian-Edu
onsdag 28. juli 2004, 15:31, skrev Gavin McCullagh:
> * Xeons are recommended (if I've translated the Norwegian hardware page
> correctly) and Athlon MPs are not so. What is the opinion on Opterons
> in 32-Bit mode?
Older AMD Athlons MP processors had stability problems. The new Opteorns
don't have this problems. But we don't know about any schools that has
tested Opterons in day-to-day use yet. We really want teachers to tell us
if they has some experience whit this.
When we give advice about hardware we focuses mainly on stability. To know
if the hardware and chip-sets are stable, we have to use well known and
mainstream hardware.
There are problems when schools purchasing hardware. The introduction of
Skolelinux could be postponed 6-12 month until the hardware vendors take
the blame for what we often sees are faulty deliveries. This has little to
do with Skolelinux, and little to do with purchasing skills at the schools
and in the municipalities.
It's also a problem from the hardware vendors in general. We have made a
routine where servers to Schools has to be validated after they are shipped
from the factory because of they lack parts and so on. After this quality
insurance, there is no problems with using the hardware.
The Ministry of Education and Research has drawn a lot of attention on this
issues in their plan for Digital Competence 2004-2008. The Ministry has
established UNINETT ABC as national "free of charge" advisor service to
handle this types of questions.
So this question is still valid (bacause my general ansver):
> * Xeons are recommended (if I've translated the Norwegian hardware
> page correctly) and Athlon MPs are not so. What is the opinion on
> Opterons in 32-Bit mode?
Tollef Fog Heen <tfheen(at)raw no> <http://raw.no/personal/blog/> probably
also know a lot about this because his heavily interest in porting Debian
to AMD64, and his involvment in Skolelinux. I send a copy of this mail to
him :-)
Sincerely
Knut Yrvin
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