(Note: All this is just my .02, I'm just a dev engineer, not marketing or sales)
Since you're a newcomer, I'll try to give you an overview. You have a choice between using Solaris 10, and using the new OpenSolaris distribution. Solaris 10 doesn't have the spiffy new web-based installer, but it is more stable. There are some features in Sun Studio (performance analyzer and dbx) that are more subject to breakage when things change in the OS. Often these are fixed in the OS by the time those changes get back-ported into Solaris 10 updates. Also, Sun Studio 12 gets patches released much faster for any problems that show up because of Solaris 10. There's also more lead time to prepare those SS12 patches. So anyway, the gist is: If you're going to use OpenSolaris as the operating system, then you probably want to try using the Sun Studio Express releases. If you want stable, then you should probably look into using Solaris 10 and Sun Studio 12. This also applies to long term support. If you report bugs against either OpenSolaris or Sun Studio Express, Sun will be happy to work with you get a reproducible test case, and try to get the issue fixed in the next update release. If you're looking for a reliable stream of patch-fixes, then you should be looking at Solaris 10 and Sun Studio 12. Since you're mostly interested in numeric computing and compilers, those tools are NOT very often affected by new OS updates. If you're interested in comparing performance, then the performance analyzer tools in Sun Studio should also be interesting to you. Give them a look. Now don't get me wrong. Sun Studio Express and OpenSolaris are VERY stable compared to some other vendors pre-release software products. The best thing is to judge for yourself. All it takes is a download and install. At some point there should be an OpenSolaris "stable" repository which will move more slowly and be better tested, and supported with smaller point-fixes for bugs. But at the moment the "development repository" is getting updated with all the biweekly OpenSolaris builds. And that's moving pretty fast in terms of seeing new features and new bugs pop up. --chris Rolf S. Arvidson wrote: >> Are you sure you need SS12? >> > > I wanted a full-featured product, particularly as a means of comparing > performance of c++ and f90/95 compilers with Intel+Linux (icc, ifort) counterparts. As the Express builds were described as "previews" (albeit fully-functional ones), I thought that they might at some point be abandoned in terms of support. I didn't know the difference between SS and SSEx in terms of licensing. Thanks for clarifying this. > >> It's easier to install Sun Studio Express by saying: >> "pkg install sunstudioexpress" >> > >> You can also get a newer express as a download from >> sun.com, >> which is a .sh-based installer that doesn't use >> packages. > > > I'm a newcomer to (open)solarius, and a bit clueless as to the "old" (versus > new?) package format (thought there was just a single format). My preference > is simply to use the current scheme (whatever that is) and tools for keeping > things up-to-date. Can you clarify what you mean below when you say "old" > package format? > > >> I think the old package format is still supposed to >> be limping >> along in OpenSolaris. But there's a known >> incompatibility >> between OpenSolaris and the SS12 installer. You >> could try >> untarring that bundle and going inside and adding the >> packages >> manually. >> >> SS12 is not fully redistributable, so the osol team >> doesn't >> want it in the repository. We're obviously working >> on all >> these issues, but that's the current status. >> >> > > Is there any functional difference between SS12 and the Express builds that > would limit my being able to build stuff involving blas, atlas, and related > computational libraries? Thanks again for your help and any insight you can > provide. > >> Rolf S. Arvidson wrote: >>> I have a fresh install of opensolaris, updated via >> image-update >> (http://mail.opensolaris.org/pipermail/indiana-discuss >> /2008-July/007965.html): >>> $ uname -svprio >>> SunOS 5.11 snv_95 i386 i86pc Solaris >>> >>> I've also got SunStudio 12 >> (SunStudio12ml-solaris-x86-200709-pkg.tar.bz2), but >> have seen conflicting or inconsistent posts and blogs >> about the correct way to get this package >> successfully installed under opensolaris in terms of >> OS patches, package dependencies, and other issues. >> Can anyone give or point me to a canonical source to >> follow? Thanks! >>> -- >>> This message posted from opensolaris.org >>> _______________________________________________ >>> tools-compilers mailing list >>> tools-compilers at opensolaris.org >> _______________________________________________ >> tools-compilers mailing list >> tools-compilers at opensolaris.org > -- > This message posted from opensolaris.org > _______________________________________________ > tools-compilers mailing list > tools-compilers at opensolaris.org
