Ask HN: Why are supercomputers all running Linux and not BSD?
A comment I found while looking at linux OS that are run on super computers.<p>&quot;Originally, the top 500 list was populated entirely by proprietary Unix systems from vendors like Cray research, SGI, etc.<p>In June 1998, the first Linux system entered the top 500 list. By June 2003, Linux systems passed the 25% mark, accounting for 139 of the top 500. By November of 2003, Linux systems comprised over 56% of the top 500. By November 2006, Linux made up more than 75% of the top 500. You get the idea. Over the years, there were a few attempts by microsoft to get into supercomputing, and there were BSD and Mac systems.&quot;<p>Since time is sold on these supercomputers they probably want to run all the same&#x2F;similar OS so they can compete selling time on them. Also if one person has success everyone else will copy them.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;linux.slashdot.org&#x2F;story&#x2F;17&#x2F;11&#x2F;14&#x2F;2223227&#x2F;all-500-of-the-worlds-top-500-supercomputers-are-running-linux" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;linux.slashdot.org&#x2F;story&#x2F;17&#x2F;11&#x2F;14&#x2F;2223227&#x2F;all-500-of...</a><p>Slashdot has a ton of comments discussing bsd vs linux on this subject matter, but I didn&#x27;t see anything to helpful.<p>My only thought is large companies like netflix use bsd more for CDN because from what I been told bsd has the best I&#x2F;O handling. Why they don&#x27;t use it for the rest of there infrastructure? Maybe linux is better at crunching numbers and bsd is better for network and security? No idea thats my best guess.