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Phoronix

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Phoronix
Type of site
Review
Available inEnglish
OwnerPhoronix Media
Created byMichael Larabel
URLwww.phoronix.com

Phoronix is a technology website that offers product reviews, Linux distribution screenshots, interviews, and news while maintaining a pure Linux orientation. Phoronix was started in June 2004 by Michael Larabel, who currently serves as the owner and editor-in-chief. The name Phoronix is a portmanteau of "phoro-"[citation needed] and "*NIX" for meaning the Linux movement. Phoronix is known for being one of the few Linux review websites that cover computer hardware, especially graphics hardware, and is updated on a daily basis.

History

Founded on 5 June 2004, Phoronix started as a website with a handful of reviews. At the end of 2004, Phoronix focused its articles specifically toward Linux users after seeing the lack of computer hardware review websites that were devoted to alternative operating systems. Phoronix continues to solely provide Linux hardware coverage, and the most common distribution used with reviews is Ubuntu.[citation needed] Phoronix is most noted for its Linux graphics articles that monitor and compare the ATI and NVIDIA display drivers. Phoronix has also been cited by a number of other technical publications such as CNET News[1][2] and Slashdot.[3] In June 2006 the Phoronix Forums were opened[4] to the Linux community.

With the heavily debated quality of the proprietary display device drivers on Linux, the Phoronix editor-in-chief, Michael Larabel, started a blog about his experience when switching from NVIDIA to ATI graphics.[5] The blog was updated daily, for fifty days, between 1 June 2006 to 20 July 2006, as he shared first-hand his positive and negative ordeals when investigating the proprietary ATI fglrx drivers.

On 20 April 2007, Phoronix announced its new website.[6] Also announced was that they would begin offering Solaris hardware reviews and news in addition to their Linux content.[7]

On 29 July 2009, Phoronix announced PTS Desktop Live, its own Linux kernel based operating system designed for carrying out system benchmarks and other automated tests using the Phoronix Test Suite.[8]

On 31 March 2010 Michael Larabel announced he was going to take a trip to the Chernobyl disaster site, and that he would post high-definition photographs of the area on Phoronix or potentially a new Phoronix Media website.[9] On 1 April 2010 he left for Chernobyl and launched a Chernobyl 2010 website.[10] The photographs were posted when he returned on 7 April 2010.[11] Interest in the photographs was so great that it temporary took down the Phoronix web server.[12] Larabel has shown interest in a similar trip that could potenitally happen in May 2011.[13]

Having reported in 2008 that Steam would come to Linux, after finding steam files relating to Linux bundled with Left 4 Dead,[14] Michael Larabel would once again start rumours following the announcement of Steam for Mac OS X, claiming to have found Linux related references in the Mac Steam client and eventually claiming to have found a Linux client which was under development, available from Valve's servers.[15][16][17] These discoveries were also covered by several other websites.[18][19][20][21][22] On 12 May 2010, the day of the Mac OS X client release, Phoronix reported that Valve Software had confirmed that Steam would be coming to Linux.[23] On 23 August 2010, Engadget reported the Valve marketing VP Doug Lombardi had said "There's no Linux version that we're working on right now."[24] Larabel still insists that Steam will come to Linux.[25] In April 2012, Michael Larabel was invited to the Valve worldwide headquarters where he met with the company and was able to provide video/photographic proof of the Linux client still in development.[26][27] Valve announced their Linux plans in July 2012, confirming the information reported by Michael Larabel.[28]

Phoronix Test Suite

Main article: Phoronix Test Suite

On 5 June 2008, the 1.0 release of the Phoronix Test Suite was announced. This software was made available under the GPLv3 and is designed to validate software and hardware on Linux. Version 1.0 was made up of 57 test profiles and 23 test suites.

OpenBenchmarking.org

OpenBenchmarking.org is a new cloud based service created to work with the Phoronix Test Suite. It is a collaborative platform that allows users to share their hardware and software benchmarks through an organized online interface.

References

  1. ^ Shankland, Stephen. "New Linux look fuels old debate". News.com. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  2. ^ Shankland, Stephen. "Intel aims for open-source graphics advantage". News.com. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  3. ^ "The State of ATI Drivers on GNU/Linux". Linux. Slashdot. 20 July 2006. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  4. ^ "Forums Launch". Phoronix. 15 June 2006. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
  5. ^ "Redblog Introduction". Phoronix. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  6. ^ "Welcome To The New Phoronix". Phoronix. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  7. ^ "Phoronix To Support Solaris OS". Phoronix. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
  8. ^ "Announcing PTS Desktop Live 2009.3 "Gernlinden"". Phoronix. 29 July 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  9. ^ To Tour Chernobyl Nuclear Site, Phoronix.
  10. ^ Off To The Chernobyl Disaster Site], Phoronix
  11. ^ Touring Chernobyl, Phoronix, 2010.
  12. ^ Chernobyl Takes Down Our Server
  13. ^ Larabel, Michael (March 15, 2011), Chernobyl Nuclear Tour, Phoronix.
  14. ^ Steam Client For Linux Confirmed: Linux Libraries Appear In Left 4 Dead Demo, Phoronix, November 28, 2008.
  15. ^ Proof In Steam's Mac Client of Linux Support, Phoronix, April 21, 2010.
  16. ^ Yet More Signs of Valve's Steam On Linux, Phoronix, April 22, 2010.
  17. ^ There Is No Doubt, Steam Is Coming To Linux!, Phoronix, April 22, 2010.
  18. ^ Steam Linux client coming?, Big Download, May 3, 2010.
  19. ^ Steam's new Mac client hints at Linux support, Download Squad, April 22, 2010.
  20. ^ Linux gamers will get some Steam, The Inquirer, April 23, 2010.
  21. ^ Steam for Linux next on cards after OS X?, SlashGear, May 4, 2010.
  22. ^ And here comes Steam for Linux, CrunchGear, May 3, 2010.
  23. ^ "It's Official: Valve Releasing Steam, Source Engine For Linux!". Phoronix. 12 May 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  24. ^ "Valve denies having a Linux version of Steam in the works". Engadget. 23 August 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  25. ^ Larabel, Michael (January 7, 2011), GameTree Linux Is Trying To Be Its Own Steam-Like Platform, Phoronix.
  26. ^ Valve is developing Steam for Linux, release 'not too far out', The Verge, 25 April 2012, retrieved 2013-04-24.
  27. ^ Valve's Gabe Newell Talks Linux Steam Client, Source Engine, Phoronix, 25 April 2012, retrieved 2013-04-24.
  28. ^ Stream'd Penguins, Valve Software, 16 July 2012, retrieved 2013-04-24
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