Phoronix
Encyclopedia
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-" 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.
. 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 and Slashdot
. In June 2006 the Phoronix Forums were opened to the Linux community.
With the heavily debated quality of the proprietary display device driver
s on Linux, the Phoronix editor-in-chief, Michael Larabel, started a blog
about his experience when switching from NVIDIA to ATI graphics. The blog was updated daily for fifty days between 2006-6-1 to 2006-7-20, as he shared first-hand his positive and negative ordeals when investigating the proprietary ATI fglrx drivers.
On 2007-4-20, Phoronix announced its new website. Also announced was that they would begin offering Solaris hardware reviews and news in addition to their Linux content.
On 2009-7-29, 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
.
On 2010-3-31 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. On 2010-4-1 he left for Chernobyl and launched a Chernobyl 2010 website. The photographs were posted when he returned on 2010-4-7. Interest in the photographs was so great that it temporary took down the Phoronix web server. Larabel has shown interest in a similar trip that could potenitally happen in May 2011.
Having reported in 2008 that Steam would come to Linux, after finding steam files relating to Linux bundled with Left 4 Dead
, 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 an underdevelopment Linux client available from Valve's servers. These discoveries were also covered by several other websites. On 2010-5-12, the day of the Mac OS X client release, Phoronix reported that Valve Software had confirmed that Steam would be coming to Linux. On 2010-8-23, Engadget
reported the Valve marketing VP Doug Lombardi had said "There's no Linux version that we're working on right now." Larabel still insists that Steam will come to Linux.
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.
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
screenshots, interviews, and news while maintaining a pure Linux orientation. Phoronix was started in June 2004 by Michael Larabel
Michael Larabel
Michael Larabel is the founder of Phoronix, a Linux advocate and consultant and the director of software development for Reside@HOME.Michael Larabel received a great deal of attention for starting the ATI Technologies Redblog and issuing The State of ATI Linux in the early days of operating Phoronix...
, who currently serves as the owner and editor-in-chief. The name Phoronix is a portmanteau of "phoro-" and "*NIX" for meaning the Linux movement. Phoronix is known for being one of the few Linux review websites that cover computer hardware
Computer hardware
Personal computer hardware are component devices which are typically installed into or peripheral to a computer case to create a personal computer upon which system software is installed including a firmware interface such as a BIOS and an operating system which supports application software that...
, especially graphics hardware, and is updated on a daily basis.
History
Founded on 2004-6-5, 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 UbuntuUbuntu (operating system)
Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
. Phoronix is most noted for its Linux graphics articles that monitor and compare the ATI
ATI Technologies
ATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...
and NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
display drivers. Phoronix has also been cited by a number of other technical publications such as CNET
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
News and Slashdot
Slashdot
Slashdot is a technology-related news website owned by Geeknet, Inc. The site, which bills itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters", features user-submitted and ‑evaluated current affairs news stories about science- and technology-related topics. Each story has a comments section...
. In June 2006 the Phoronix Forums were opened to the Linux community.
With the heavily debated quality of the proprietary display device driver
Device driver
In computing, a device driver or software driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device....
s on Linux, the Phoronix editor-in-chief, Michael Larabel, started a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
about his experience when switching from NVIDIA to ATI graphics. The blog was updated daily for fifty days between 2006-6-1 to 2006-7-20, as he shared first-hand his positive and negative ordeals when investigating the proprietary ATI fglrx drivers.
On 2007-4-20, Phoronix announced its new website. Also announced was that they would begin offering Solaris hardware reviews and news in addition to their Linux content.
On 2009-7-29, Phoronix announced PTS Desktop Live, its own Linux kernel based operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
designed for carrying out system benchmarks and other automated tests using the Phoronix Test Suite
Phoronix Test Suite
Phoronix Test Suite is a free, open-source benchmark software for Linux and other operating systems developed by Phoronix Media with cooperation from an undisclosed number of hardware and software vendors....
.
On 2010-3-31 Michael Larabel
Michael Larabel
Michael Larabel is the founder of Phoronix, a Linux advocate and consultant and the director of software development for Reside@HOME.Michael Larabel received a great deal of attention for starting the ATI Technologies Redblog and issuing The State of ATI Linux in the early days of operating Phoronix...
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. On 2010-4-1 he left for Chernobyl and launched a Chernobyl 2010 website. The photographs were posted when he returned on 2010-4-7. Interest in the photographs was so great that it temporary took down the Phoronix web server. Larabel has shown interest in a similar trip that could potenitally happen in May 2011.
Having reported in 2008 that Steam would come to Linux, after finding steam files relating to Linux bundled with Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which was purchased by Valve Corporation during development. The game uses Valve's proprietary Source engine, and is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X...
, Michael Larabel
Michael Larabel
Michael Larabel is the founder of Phoronix, a Linux advocate and consultant and the director of software development for Reside@HOME.Michael Larabel received a great deal of attention for starting the ATI Technologies Redblog and issuing The State of ATI Linux in the early days of operating Phoronix...
would once again start rumours following the announcement of Steam for Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, claiming to have found Linux related references in the Mac Steam client and eventually claiming to have found an underdevelopment Linux client available from Valve's servers. These discoveries were also covered by several other websites. On 2010-5-12, the day of the Mac OS X client release, Phoronix reported that Valve Software had confirmed that Steam would be coming to Linux. On 2010-8-23, Engadget
Engadget
Engadget is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. Though on appearance Engadget functions much like a blog and may be defined as such, much of its editorial content takes the form of an online magazine...
reported the Valve marketing VP Doug Lombardi had said "There's no Linux version that we're working on right now." Larabel still insists that Steam will come to Linux.
Phoronix Test Suite
On 2008-6-5, the 1.0 release of the Phoronix Test SuitePhoronix Test Suite
Phoronix Test Suite is a free, open-source benchmark software for Linux and other operating systems developed by Phoronix Media with cooperation from an undisclosed number of hardware and software vendors....
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.