Re: Are most DBA jobs on UNIX or Mainframe, not NT?

From: Anthony Mandic <am_at__.agd.nsw.gov.au>
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 12:59:42 +1000
Message-ID: <375F2A1E.F04FEC62@_.agd.nsw.gov.au>

Erik Nielsen wrote:

> I'd say linux is fairly commercial grade, and would run better than SCO
> any day. I worked briefly at SCO, and it's a good bet that linux
> supports more hardware and is easier to install and manage.
> Installation and sysadmin are easier on Linux (at least RedHat, the one
> I'm most familiar with). I'm not over certain of SCO's future as a
> company, either.

	I'm not overly impressed by SCO either, but it does seem to be
	fairly popular. I honestly can't consider Linux commercially
	acceptable yet. Vendors are offering support but I have yet to
	see a job offer using it locally. However, the real problem is
	the amount of fragmentation within the Linux community. The
	current state of things only leads to confusion. This needs to
	be sorted out before it gets worse or it won't expand outside of
	its current realm.



> >         You must be using 'better' in a sense I am unfamiliar with.

>
> I could be wrong about this, as people are telling me I am. I've never
> been lacking documentation on Linux, but on solaris I've been
> consistantly lacking. Maybe it's because I don't have the hard copy
> manuals. And yes, I can use man pages.

	Well, the man pages are one thing but the real manuals are a
	different beast altogether. The Solaris ones take up two rows
	on the bookshelf behind me. Of course, you can get them all
	online or on the AnswerBook CDs. I don't think I've ever seen
	real Linux manuals. But then, I suppose I should ask if there
	is a need for them. Perhaps in a commercial environment.

> I realize solaris has been around longer. However, it has not been
> around for the x86 platform longer, as I understand it. Didn't
> solarisx86 only come out with rev 2.4 or 2.5? Correct me if I'm wrong.
> Linux has the extra added benefit of being free. I think you can get a
> free copy of solaris for x86 for personal use, though.

	Yes, you can get it for the cost of media and shipping now.
	( http://www.sun.com.developers/ for those interested.)
	There was a thread just recently in news:comp.unix.solaris
	discussing the age of Solaris. It was revealed that Solaris
	x86 had its origins in Interactive Unix. Also Sun's i386 was
	running the Intel version of SunOS back in the late 80s.

> I think the premise was that someone wanted to learn unix. I think
> Linux would be the easiest starting point, especially if installing it
> on a home pc. Oracle is also giving away it's database free for
> personal use for Linux. Oracle is available for SCO and solaris, I
> know, but BSD derivatives (correct me if I'm wrong) don't. Linux
> (RedHat) also comes with a bunch of software like PostgreSQL (database)
> and other useful stuff.

	Sybase is also available for Linux, but not for Solaris x86.
	I think the choice depends on what one wants to learn. Of course,
	there's nothing stopping one from multibooting several OSes.
	Its one way of forming a discerning opinion.

-am Received on Wed Jun 09 1999 - 21:59:42 CDT