Top 500: 85 Percent of all Super Computers Runs on Linux
The Top 500 Super Computer statistics offers a completely different view of market domination in IT: 85 percent of the world’s most powerful computers uses Linux as its operating system; Windows is way down accounting for just 1.2 percent.
The top500.org website evaluates high performance machines along various criteria and ranks them in order of performance. Based on the current Top500 list, dating from November 2007, 426 super computers use the Linux operating system, whereas only six run on Windows. Unix is second at six percent and is installed on 30 of the top 500 machines.
This is an improvement for both Linux and Windows over the June 2007 figures: just six months previously, the free operating system accounted for a “mere” 77.8 percent, with just two machines running on Windows. The list is updated every six months, and provides a mass of additional information such as the location of the computers, applications, architectures and processors. Users can click to compile more statistics. For example, you can discover that more than half the machines are located in the USA: the largest (known) user group is the finance sector, which accounts for 14.4 percent, and Skalar is the main processor architecture with 99.2 percent, frequently on Intel EM64T at 64 percent. IBM sold 46.2 percent of the machines, followed by HP at 33.2 percent.
A team of scientists led by Professor Hans Meuer from the University of Mannheim introduced the list of the top 500 super computers back in 1993 in cooperation with vendors, generally available statistics and user surveys. The list puts the machines in order of performance, as ascertained by the LINPACK benchmark. This high performance computer benchmark asks the computers to calculate a system of linear equations. According to the authors this test is widespread in the HPC category and available for more or less any system.
netlib.org, a website for mathematical software, databases and documents provides detailed information on the benchmark test and the latest LINPACK Report.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.