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Sun Opens Cobalt Code

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the users-not-blue-any-more dept.

Bush Kanaka writes "It looks like Sun has released the user interface and back-end custom code for the Cobalt Raq550 under a BSD-like licence. The BIOS code is also, apparently, now open source and is being maintained by Sun engineer Duncan Laurie in his own time. This has to be good news for all those Cobalt devotees who were annoyed when Sun killed off Cobalt last month, but is anybody going to actually pick up the software and start making their own Cobalt clones?"

9 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Cobalt versus... by orangesquid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Was I the only one who accidentally read, "Sun opens Cobol Code," and thought, "Egads, some things just need to stay closed-source" ?

    --
    --TheOrangeSquid Is it any wonder things seem so awry? We swim in a sea of confusion and don't have to think to survive
    1. Re:Cobalt versus... by LordK3nn3th · · Score: 5, Funny

      Cobol is hardcore, man. HARDCORE.

      --

      ---
      Never criticize religion on Slashdot. You will be modded down for "Troll" no matter how factual it is.
  2. Re:Cobalt Cube? by AKnightCowboy · · Score: 5, Informative
    Is it just me, or does this thing sound exactly like the Cobalt Cube from a few years back?

    Umm, that's probably because it IS the same Cobalt that produced the Cube. Sun bought them several years ago (and subsequently killed them off by failing to release timely security patches or regular updates anymore). I've got several RaQ4r's and I should find out how this affects us when we keep them around to use as workgroup toy servers after we upgrade to general purpose Linux servers. They were great and I would keep using them if only Sun kept patches up to date. Oh well.

  3. 3 users? by vasqzr · · Score: 5, Informative


    The number of sites on Cobalt has declined since August 2002, when it reached its peak of 3.1 million hostnames and 942K active sites. Our November hosting survey found Linux-Cobalt serving 871K hostnames and 527K active sites.

    Percantage of Linux Active Sites with Known Linux Distribution:
    Redhat 51.7%
    Cobalt 19.6%
    Debian 15.4%
    Suse 10.5%
    Mandrake 1.9%
    Gentoo 1.0%
    From NetCraft

  4. Symantec by silconous · · Score: 5, Informative

    Symantec will still develop it, all the Gateway Security firewalls and Raptor firewalls were built on cobalts

  5. Cobalt Users Group by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://open.cobaltqube.org/

    Featuring Blue Quartz

  6. It's Not About Cloning by tomblackwell · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This gesture is far more useful to those who are "stuck" with an end-of-lined server. If there are flaws with the software (and with Raqs, there are always a few that creep out over time), the admins can do the fixes themselves.

    I really doubt that anyone is going to use the Raq software to start a new project when there are cheap, well-exercised alternatives on the market.

  7. What do you do with a dead Cobalt cube? by iguana · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thus inviting disaster to my oh-so-dainty home DSL line, I nevertheless boldly post a link to a set of humorous uses for a dead Cobalt Cube. These pictures were done by a former coworker of mine, Scott Lundberg (Hi Scott!) about four years ago.

    http://www.mbuf.com/deadcube.php

    In a related rant, to heck with the upper level source code. I want them to release the schematics, BIOS, and boot code for the ARM cube! Having a turnkey ARM system like that would be an incredible boon to the embedded Linux world. Open Source doesn't necessarily have to mean just source code, IMO.

  8. Cobalt Replacement by iStitz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Has anyone made an "Internet Appliance" to replace the Cobalt RAQ line? Although the RAQ line was not perfect, it's ease of use was unmatched.