Subj : Re: Computer operating system of choice?
To   : Sporathan
From : tenser
Date : Wed Feb 09 2022 02:55:28

On 08 Feb 2022 at 12:33p, Sporathan pondered and said...
 
 Sp>  te> * Plan 9 (runs most of my network infrastructure; I also
 Sp>  te>   regularly use a physical plan9 terminal)
 Sp> 
 Sp> Whoa. I've never heard anyone actually use it!! I might give that a
 Sp> whirl some time. Any reason you use it for your network? What do you
 Sp> does it manage?

I run the full network setup: auth, CPU, file server, and terminal
all on separate physical machines.

I use it mainly because I like it (it was my primary environment
for a few years in the early 2000s, before the web became truly
inescapable).  I use it to run DHCP, DNS, etc, plus its native
services.  I still really like the ndb format for configuration
data; it makes it easy to, say, add a machine: you set up a stanza
with key/value pairs including MAC address, IPv4/v6 addresses, and
names and the DNS and DHCP servers pick it up automatically.

I also understand its internals really well, having made major
changes to the kernel and userspace over the years.  I'm still
on the technical advisory group.

That said, I wouldn't really recommend that people try and do the
sort of stuff I'm doing with it; it is flaky.  For example, the
DNS server crashes all the time, which is a pain.  If you run on
even slightly incompatible hardware, it'll require deep specialist
knowledge to get running.  That said, the Raspberry Pi distro runs
pretty reliably and is a great way to kick the tires.  It is fun
to mess around with, and will stretch your brain in interesting
ways.

http://pub.gajendra.net/2016/05/plan9part1 is an introduction I
wrote a few years ago that may prove interesting.

 Sp>  te> * [tons of other cool OS's]
 Sp> 
 Sp> I really need to get to know you! :D

I ain't that cool. :-)

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