moving from an AIX to a Linux environment (fwd)

[David Mandel]

On Thu, 12 Sep 1996 julied at robinhood.ssmc.noaa.gov wrote:
    
> 
> 
> Dear GRASS users:
> 
> Our division is thinking of migrating from an IBM RS/6000 AIX environment
> to an Intel Pentium Pro Linux environment.
> We are currently still using GRASS4.0, but we'd like to migrate to
> Grass4.1.2 as well.
> I am asking for any feedback that anyone can give me about how smooth
> or rough a migration it may be.  In particular I'm wondering about
> digitizing. We have a Calcomp digitizer and we use the GRASS routine
> xdigit (rather than v.digit). Are these issues that I should be concerned
> with? Another question would be if we can have a mixed environment, can we
> transfer files from aix to linux easily?
> 
> Thanks in advance for any thoughts and comments you may have on this 
> issue.
> 
> Julie Daniel
> National Weather Service
> email: julied at lionheart.ssmc.noaa.gov
> (301) 713-1669
> 

I work in both the Linux on Intel and the RS6000 environment.  In fact, I 
have a Linux machine in the middle of my desk and an RS6000 on the side.  
I cross mount the disks and use the two together very successfully.  In 
general, I would say:

(1)  The Linux machine has many advantages.
     (Notice, it is in the middle of the desk.)
     - Quality Freeware works much better for Linux and easier to obtain.
     - Many standard Linux utilities such as emacs, xv, ghostscript, etc
       are important in GIS work.
     - Quality binaries are readily available for GRASS and other GIS
       software on Linux.  I had to port these to AIX, and this takes
       time if one does a good job testing the results.  In many cases,
       I use the Linux version as a standard by which I judge the 
       quality of my AIX port.  (When GRASS runs as well on AIX as on
       Linux, then the port is "GOOD".  emacs proved particularly
       challenging as emacs on Linux is super.)
     - Finally, I prefer the desktops (ie. fvwm) which come with Linux.
     - I have not done digitizing in Linux, but I wouldn't expect any 
       problems.

(2)  On the other hand, there is still very little proprietary software
     available for Linux.  I think I would have a hard time without
     Arc Info, Erdas, and Applix on my RS6000.  (Well, Applix is 
     now available on Linux.)  Also, Fortran on AIX is much better than
     any Fortran I have used on Linux. 
     
(3)  Given (1) and (2) I conclude that many organizations could benefit 
     by mixing Linux and some other Unix such as AIX.  However, I rarely
     recommend going 100% Linux (or anything else).

                                            Dave Mandel

P.S.  Flat Earth Systems Flat at <Fesinc at cris.com> has or at least 
used to have a pretty decent version of LTPlus available for Linux 
priced at under $200.  I would consider using this instead of v.digit
I think it would accept input from scanners and/or certain digitizers 
including Calcomp; but I'm sure about this.

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