Re: Linux distro

On 8/2/07, Gregory Stark <stark(at)enterprisedb(dot)com> wrote:
>
> "Merlin Moncure" <mmoncure(at)gmail(dot)com> writes:
>
> > A server with a GUI sitting on a login screen is wasting zero
> > resources. Some enterprise management tools are in java which require
> > a GUI to use so there is very little downside to installing X, so IMO
> > a lightweight window manager is appropriate...a full gnome is maybe
> > overkill. Obviously, you want to turn of the 3d screen saver :-)
>
> That's kind of the crux of it. X sessions tend to do things like run 3d screen
> savers, periodically check cdrom drives for new disks, periodically wake up to
> update load graphs or network graphs, etc.
>
> Even login screens are getting fancier and even the regular non-3d screen
> saver is a problem.
>
> For a benchmark machine you really don't want to find out after you run your
> benchmarks that there are mysterious spikes or dips and have to waste energy
> tracking down where they come from.
>
> I'm unclear why you would be running the enterprise management tools on
> individual machines though. Isn't the point of enterprise management tools
> that you can manage the whole enterprise? Ie, that they work remotely?

they do, but experience has shown it is prudent to be able to
administrate the hardware directly from the box. I expect trend of
desktop style management to continue (for the record, I would really
prefer these devices to present html interfaces vs. java).

Also, I just checked cpu usage of X on my desktop and it was using
0.03 seconds of cpu time every 20 seconds or so, or about 0.18%, some
of which was used to update top on screen (i was running a failsafe
terminal)...gdm, etc are completely idle. ubuntu, at least, gives you
nothing you have to turn off.

I'm actually recently converted from the 'anti-x' camp. This is
because I'm now using linux on a desktop and found it to be remarkably
efficient but also was recently in a situation where I regretted not
having it installed. I completely understand and sympathize with the
other side of the argument however. I just don't care anymore, maybe
I'm getting old :-).

merlin