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I'm working on a product that's written in generic, cross-platform-friendly Java. However, this Java component plugs into a natively-compiled, platform-specific third-party SDK. A potential customer runs AIX, so I need to create an AIX distribution bundle, but I don't have an AIX machine at my disposal.

I'm looking for the most cost-effective way to accomplish this. I really just need shell & FTP access to an AIX machine for a couple of days, and perhaps very sporadically in the future.

AIX-based hosting/cloud services seem very thin on the ground; I couldn't even find such an offering from IBM (though it could have been buried within the reams of impenetrable Enterprise speak). These look like possible options:

...but the fact that you have to talk to a sales rep before you can do anything makes me think they have a rather larger commitment in mind.

Is anybody aware of a good way to get access to an AIX box?

Aron
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    FYI - since you were really asking what ended up as a programming question, this should have been migrated to Stack Overflow. Oh well. – mfinni May 31 '11 at 15:16
  • A similar question on StackOverflow was also closed. I started a meta discussion to sort out the best place to answer this: https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/362776/where-is-the-best-place-to-answer-how-do-i-get-a-virtual-host-for-developing-on – Steve Bonds Jan 31 '18 at 17:05
  • StackOverflow will not provide recommendations for any off-site services because of the slippery spammy slope this can start: https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/251134/where-can-i-ask-about-finding-a-tool-library-or-favorite-off-site-resource – Steve Bonds Jan 31 '18 at 18:10

1 Answers1

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It sounds like you don't want hosting, you want a build and test environment. If this is just for development, find out how to become an IBM VAR or partner or licensed developer or whatever the hell they call the appropriate program, and then you should be able to get access to their labs. Every big UNIX vendor has something like that.

If you're in the Northeast, there's an IBM Innovation Center in Waltham. There's some others, and there's VIC (Virtual IC) as well.

Aha - found it. Virtual Loaner Program (later renamed to IBM Power Development Cloud.) Like I said, every UNIX vendor has something like this.

Steve Bonds
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mfinni
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  • Great; that sounds perfect! You're right, hosting isn't really what I want; I just didn't know that there was a better option out there. – Aron May 30 '11 at 23:54
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    This has apparently been renamed to "IBM Cloud Power Development Platform" - http://ibm.com/partnerworld/pdp – Mat Jan 30 '17 at 14:56