Why Linux in Science ? (3)

  • the Unix world class research environment, compilers and capabilities

  • among the supported languages are several commonly used in research including C, C++, f77, f90, Python, PERL and more

  • performances:

    NASA's JPL is a large user of Linux systems.An internal benchmark used by NASA shows the abilities of Linux and some interesting historical relations.  The program is called nbodyf and is a simulation of planetary mechanics:

    • 1984: a DEC Vax 11/780 performed the calculation in 1 1/2 h
    • HP J5000 can run the same run in less than 3 seconds
    • a less powerful HP (an HP 755 which cost $30,000 US when purchase) run the test in 13.3 seconds
    • a 200 Mhz PC running RedHat Linux with 64 megs of RAM ran the same test in 14.5 seconds (cost $2,500 new at the time)