評論
打印
Google is a technology company，but applies technology to media.
谷歌是一個致力于將技術應用于傳媒的技術公司。
What led to Google’s decision to use Linux? When did that start?
是什么讓谷歌決定采用Linux的？是何時開始的？
Well, Larry Page and I were in the Stanford PHD program in Computer Science.
嗯，我和拉里佩琦在做斯坦福大學計算機科學的博士項目時創立了谷歌。
And we developed Google there.
并發展了谷歌。
The way the computer science program worked is there was a hodgepodge of computer equipment lying around,
在做計算機科學程序時，周圍有很多計算機設備，
and we would grab whatever scraps we could.
我們可以接觸到很多對我們有用的東西。
We had all kinds of computers: HPs, Suns, Alphas and Intel’s running Linux.
我們有各種各樣的計算機：惠普的、Sun的、阿爾法的和因特爾運行Linux系統的。
So, we gained a lot of experience with all of those platforms.
因此，我們積累了很多關于這些平臺的經驗。
When we started Google, we had to make the decision of what we wanted to use.
當我們創立谷歌的時候，就需要決定我們使用什么操作系統。
Of course we chose Linux, because it is the most cost-effective solution.
那我們理所當然地選擇了Linux,因為它的性價比最好。
PCs are not only much cheaper these days，but we can also get them very quickly,
現在，個人計算機不僅僅便宜了很多，而且也可以輕而易舉地買到，
because they’re such a commodity item.
計算機實在是太實用了。
That’s an incredible benefit.
這益處簡直令人難以置信。
We just installed another 1,000 computers and we got that done in a few weeks.
才幾個星期，我們又安裝了1000臺計算機。
That’s really hard to do with any other kind of workstation.
這對于其他的工作室來說是很難完成的任務。
I think that’s an advantage that people don’t entirely realize.
我想，這是一個人們還沒有完全意識到的優勢。
Did you view it as being better, or was cost the main reason?
你覺得它的性能更出眾？還是價格才是主要原因？
It was better in some ways.
從某些方面來講，它的性能更好。
Certainly for our purposes, we felt the support was better.
當然，從我們的目的來看，我們覺得它提供了更好的支持。
For example, the actual kernel authors will respond to problems pretty quickly.
比如，實際的核心開發者可以很快地對問題作出回應。
They are especially responsive to Google nowadays, since we’re so widely used.
現在，他們對谷歌特別地負責，因為谷歌的使用頻率很高。
We can have a 15 minute turnaround.
我們可以有15分鐘的周轉時間。
You can’t really beat that for support.
在支持方面我們是最棒的。
That was an important factor, but frankly, the cost was a bigger issue.
那是一個重要的因素，但坦率地說，費用真的是更重要的問題。
PCs are so cheap, which is very important.
很重要的一個原因是個人計算機太便宜了。
Sun’s Solaris is probably more stable than Linux on PCs.
比起Linux來，Sun的Solaris操作系統用在個人計算機上可能相對穩定一些。
It’s hard to determine the blame, whether it’s the hardware or the operating system.
很難區別到底是硬件還是操作系統的原因。
But, it's a minor difference.
但是，差別不大。
Then, does all of your support come from newsgroups or do you actually pay for it through Red Hat?
那么，你們所有的支持都來自網絡群組嗎？還是說,事實上你們是通過紅帽付款的？
We have an operations team of about ten people, which helps a lot.
我們有一支10人左右的操作團隊，他們幫了很大的忙。
And other than that we check newsgroups and e-mail the authors of the code.
另外，我們也通過網絡群組和電郵檢查代碼編者的相關信息。
Usually, if it’s a problem we can’t figure out, we go straight to the authors.
通常，如果這是我們判斷不了的問題，我們會直接與編者聯系。
Is Linux used on desktops at Google?
谷歌的臺式電腦也用Linux系統嗎？
It depends.
不一定。
Engineering mostly runs Linux.
大多數工程師會用。
Business development slash marketing runs Windows.
商務拓展和市場部門的人用Windows操作系統。
Actually, I use Linux with VMWare running Windows.
事實上，我用Linux，同時用虛擬機運行Windows系統。
Some people have two computers,
有些人有兩臺電腦，
particularly some people in engineering who do UI development and need to test things out on Windows platforms.
尤其是一些做UI開發和需要在Windows操作平臺上作測試的工程人員。
I find it better to just use VmWare and have one computer.
我認為只用一臺電腦，然后用虛擬機比較好。
