Some OpenPOWER computing
========================

I have  started to use  my OpenPOWER/POWER9 workstation  extensively. I
still have to say that I feel better in front of my old good SGI O2 but
there are  tasks that require  much more  power (and some  times better
compatibility with world around me, too).

As  you may  know my  new  computer is  a  Raptor CS  Blackbird. It  is
something which was  called a "low-end workstation" in the  past. So it
is a logical replacement of my low-end SGI O2 workstation.

I  still use  my Blackbird  in configuration  from late  summer: 4-core
POWER9 CPU with  active cooling, 16 GB  of RAM, 512GB SSD  and with the
integrated  2D graphics.  I have  not found  nor time  nor reasons  for
upgrade (I  have a  Radeon, further  16 GB  of ram  and the  second SSD
already prepared). My OS is still the Fedora 30 (I should upgrade it to
the 31 in next future). I am not exactly happy with it but it works OK.
Available software is  sometimes different than what is  offered by the
Debian/Ubuntu.  For example,  there  is x86_64  cross-compiler and  the
SnowNews RSS reader but there is  no libGD, among others. There is also
no Chromnium (I don't like that browser much bus some people thing than
making software in form of Chrome plugins only is a good practice...).

Some software is still not available compiled for the POWER and I'm not
brave enough  to compile it by  myself (the MAME with  SGI/MIPS support
and more importantly the LLNL VisIt).

Now I use  this computer for most  of my WWW browsing (I  still use the
Links  browser heavily  and  the Firefox  only for  sites  where is  is
necessary), for  "office" work (for  the cases when use  of LibreOffice
is  unavoidable),  for  actual  computing (FEA  stuff  and  GNU  Octave
computations), for image management and so.

Actually I  still prefer to write  my LaTeX documents on  the IRIX (SGI
O2) machine - I like older tools better. I often use vector images made
by  the XFig  and the  Gnuplot  (I use  the Gnuplot  both directly  and
through the GNU  Octave). If I am  not mistaken I still  made no single
XFig drawing on the  Blackbird so far - I have been  making them on the
O2.  My Palm  IIIx  is also  synchronised  with the  O2,  not with  the
Blackbird (it should be no problem as I have a proper adapter).

This week I experienced my very first RAM shortage on the Blackbird. So
I should install the second 16GB RAM stick soon...

Written on the Palm Tungsten W with an external keyboard.