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Sun Java Desktop System Release 2
Jahf writes "Sun is putting out Java Desktop System Release 2. Some overview information is in this article while more technical information about the new management solutions are in this one. Quickly: the desktop environment is essentially the same, though Sun has added support for GIMLET (allows one to change the current input language on a per-window basis), officially supported Japanese and Korean translations, and is including a Java-based online update client. The bigger changes are management items that are normally hidden from the end-user but valuable to the Admin. Configuration Manager allows admins to setup client preferences for remote desktops and 'protect' those settings to create policies. Sun Control Station (the last remaining Sun product from the Cobalt acquisition) can work as a network imaging server, can monitor remote desktops, and can work as a patch server (both by pushing patches out to many desktops and by serving as an online update server for clients who need to pull additional packages)."
because maybe your computer is too fast
Je t'aime Stéphanie
... is that all Java software has been removed.
It's not exactly the same as the old Sun Cobalt variety,
for some reason they rewrote the whole thing in Java.
And the new one doesn't come bundled with hardware.
> If its linux, just call it linux
That's like me saying "Since it's GNU/Linux, just call it GNU/Linux".
I'm right, but do most people listen?
No, don't say the "GNU/", it's bad for business. Well, now even the "Linux" bit is bad for business.
Please help publicise swpat.org - the software patents wiki
Sun is has been going no where fast
I'd say Sun is going no where slow. Just like their products.
Could they make it look any more like Windows
They are probably trying to reduce the amount of effort (and training costs) needed to retrain users that are familar with Windows. Usability is all about having an interface that does what users expect. Right now, they expect it to act like Windows.
Little Bricklets
I'm here all day, folks.
Actually, I think the hardware requirements suggest at a minimum you should run it on a 4 node beowulf cluster.
Could they make it look any more like Windows. This here is a linux OS that is trying to look as much like linux as possible.
Woah, there. That doesn't even BEGIN to make sense. (unless that's some weird, round about way of saying it doesn't look like MS Windows)
Incidentally, I don't think anyones got any business knocking the windows GUI. There are many things wrong with the Redmond family of operating systems but, to give them their due, they've put a hell of a lot of work into making the desktop work reasonably well.
--
I hope all of the above. Choice is good, and as long as they interoperate, I believe it would be fantastic to have several "leaders" each with its own look and feel catering to a different class of users.
I am glad to see that Sun is stepping up the features long touted as superior on Windows machines, that is the ease of modifying user parameters based on some policy or other national/language based settings -- it sounds like this setup is geared towards that rising Asian marketshare, as well as towards those Wal-Mart customers. Lest anyone think selling PC's at Wal-Mart is dumb, just count the zero's on Wal-Mart's revenue stream... they aren't #1 on Fortune 500 for NOT selling things!
stuff |
Recommended (Minimum) Configuration
* 2 Ghz Intel Compatible processor or better
* 1GB of RAM
* 160 GB hard drive
* 10/200 Base-T Ethernet network interface
Wonder what a 200BaseT nic is... Can't say I've ever seen this before.
Can I get an eye poke?
Dog House Forum
Lockdown of the user desktop: In the context of configuration management, lockdown plays a significant role, as it prevents users from changing their default environment and helps administrators provide and mandate simpler desktop environments, which in turn can help prevent users from being distracted from their core work. In the competition with other desktop systems, lockdown plays an important role.
Sun's software now includes blinders! Why wont my opponet debate this issue? Is it because he's a horse... or because he has BLINDERS ON! No periphial vision! *snap* *snap* *snap*
-Imidazole2
In an entire environment based on and tailored toward Java, such as Sun's Java Desktop System, the language really shines. Rapid setup and deployment benefits system administrators, while developer productivity is enhanced by the optimization of the develop, execute, debug and deploy cycle.
This type of setup just makes sense when you're dealing with a network of disparate hardware and software. The more that can be made common and interoperable, the easier it is to get things done. And it looks like Sun Java Desktop System has only gotten more affordable and easy to use.
So what does the Sun Java Desktop gives me if I buy it? These are the key features:
Desktop Features
o A GNOME desktop environment
o StarOffice Productivity Suite
o Mozilla web browser
o Evolution mail directory and calendar clients
o Instant Messaging support for multiple services
o Linux operating system
o Java System Update Services
o Globalization, Internationalization and Localization Support
Developer Tools
o Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE) v1.4.2_04, including the Java SDK
o Sun Java Studio Standard 5 update 1 Technology Preview
o NetBeans IDE version 3.6
System Management Tools and Client Configuration Tools
o The Java Desktop System Configuration Manager
o Sun Control Station 2.1
o The Remote Desktop Takeover
With a few exceptions, such as the System management tools, most of these features can be found in a normal linux system. I'm obviously missing something here? (I hope - enlighten me please)
Parent is both funny and right on. i've run the Java Desktop on a 600MHz machine...i'll just be kind and say it's less than snappy. i've not gotten ballsy enough to load 'er up on my 2.8GHz at the house yet...maybe when i get it all backed up, but i spose it would be hella snappier and perhaps enjoyable!
Java Desktop - the last dying gasp of an old-fashioned company trying to look hip again.
Almost like your Dad buying a Harley and rediscovering Led Zeppelin.
Trouble is , the rest of us know that he's still an old fart.
Think about this - Google run on 100,000 Linux servers. Sun bought Cobalt in 1999.
Does the phrase "lost opportunity" come to mind?
To quote Sun's website...
More Manageable and Secure: Java Desktop System is more secure desktop solution available.
On a more serious note, WHO CARES? It's yet another desktop for people to chose from. Why pay when you can set-up GNOME/KDE to look the same?
"The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley..." - ROBERT BURNS
It's for the Desktop, "Java Desktop", so why does it require such steroid-induced hardware specifications?
Seriously, how can they expect desktops to have this much power? You only have those kind of specs on small servers or gaming machines, and if you have a server I don't think you'd go with Java on the desktop, and if you're into games you'd go with Windows.
Not to say it might be a good OS (I haven't tried it) but it just seems far too heavy for their target market.
When will the linux desktops going to "lead" in innovation instead of lagging, continually trying to replicated some outdated version of windows?
Although you've been modded as a troll, you are right in large part it seems linux tries to emulate windows. It's not a bad thing, because it allows people to switch when they get too disgruntled with windows. However, the bigger payoff would be if someone developed a desktop enviornment that was BETTER than windows. Not just in preformance, but in look in feel
and that is exactly what sun is trying to do with project looking glass.
Check out some of the movies and screenshots of it if you haven't seen them yet (it's been posted on slashdot) they are pretty badass imo.
i honestly don't think it matters too much. i mean really what more on the gui can we actually do that would be considered "innovative"? put desktop icons in a different place? move a taskbar here or there? if your primary goal is to make it easier for windows users to get accustomed to linux, then a desktop that resembles windows makes sense. besides, its just how it looks to them. you still have the underlying linux security no matter how ugly/pretty the desktop looks like. as for unifying development, while i agree that a basic set of rules wouldn't be a bad thing, part of the advantage of linux is in its variety. just look at how many websites and programs are devoted to change the look and feel of windows xp. style xp, object dock, litestep, i know i'm missing some others, but any search for those and you'll find many people that don't have the standard "start" and taskbar buttons. variety of desktops isn't stopping determined people from using linux. its tie in to hardware, locked down apis, and a chicken and egg situation with drivers that are keeping people from linux. anybody can learn a new gui. the same people that people consider "lusers" had to learn their way through the windows gui when they HAD to to get their work done, and with most guis for linux being similar to windows, in theory it really shouldn't take that long. in a business setting, just give them a basic desktop locked down with icons to whatever word replacement, excel replacement, browser replacement, etc they need and outside of it being called different most users won't even notice the difference.
That's one of the most insane MINIMUM system requirements that I've ever seen. It's probably a good thing that it's a corporate desktop solution. Could you imagine the requirements to run a game on top of that?
Life today. Uncertainty tomorrow.
Sun Java Desktop is based on Suse Linux. Suse Linux is owned by Novell.
Sun and Novell are the top 2 contributors to OpenOffice/Star Office.
Novell's Suse Linux comes with OpenOffice, while Sun Java Desktop comes with StarOffice.
Consensus is good, but informed dictatorship is better
where the heck did you pull out that JDS would require rh 7.3?
*6.
Q.
Which operating system does the Java Desktop System work with?
A.
The Java Desktop System includes a Linux OS, based on SuSE SLED. Future versions will extend platform support to the Solaris SPARC and x86 platforms.*
Don't try to understand something you don't bother reading few lines of.
+5 MIS-informative
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
The speed of Java, the intuitiveness and simplicity of Windows, the sanity of SkyOS all in one product!
Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
Check out an open source java desktop: jd4x.sourceforge.net - it's fast, cute, and mostly Java.
One of the good things with linux is you can run as many GUIs as you want on it or none at all. Even with A GUI interface on a server when you log out to a text prompt the box isn't running a GUI at all. I sure with a little tweaking you could get the Java Desktop to run on any Linux box. Try that with MS.
As came up in the previous Java desktop discussion, there is some ambiguity as to the use of the word Java, Sun now considers Java to be a brand, just like GM has brands of Chevy and Oldsmobile, thus the Java desktop doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Java the programming language. Being a Java programmer myself, it may be hard to live the fact with our favorite language is now a pseudonymn for a corporate brand, but we need to call spade a spade. For Sun Java is a name they use to sell product and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with a programming language. Mark Mark
I'm currently running JDS on a ThinkPad T20: PIII 700 w/ 256MB RAM. I don't play games or watch movies on it - DVD playback is choppy (go figure) - but it works very well for everyday office tasks and as a portable network assessment platform. Even StarOffice seems to run smoothly and without undue delay. *shrug* I wouldn't want to compile anything large on it (so gentoo is not an option (zing!)) but smaller sources (like Xine) take only a couple minutes.
Before some goober snorts "a couple minutes to compile Xine!!11!oneone LOL", said goober should keep in mind that this is designed as a desktop system - think Joe and Jane EndUser (or Joe and Jane Sixpack if you don't get along w/ the EndUsers).
Customers also appreciate the fact that it is backed by a reputable company.
I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
I got an email on Sun's mailing list today that had a URL to their presentation, quite slick and looks a great corporate desktop. They mentioned Linux (by accident ???) three times and SuSE once. They stated their intention to have a Solaris version out next year. They also added a nice touch where corporates buying the "Java" desktop are allowed installation on their employees' home machines.
For at least a year more than half of the MS product line was called .NET something.
Maybe on the Java branding issue Sun could learn from MS, but IANAMG ( I am not a marketing guy ;-) )
In fact, I think you'll probably find yourself much happier with windows. You are running windows, aren't you? A little bird told me that it supports your scanner, TV card and your camera!
However, for some of us Linux (or Solaris, etc) is a better option:
Do I own your camera? no.
Do I own your TV card? no.
Do I have your digital camera? no.
Do I have 200 bucks handy to buy a second copy of windows for my second pc? no.
Do I really want to agree to licensing terms that allow MS to pay me 'friendly visits' every no and again? no.
etc.
... that Betty and everyone else locked into a cube day after day after day needs something to feel like a human being, and not just a de humanized cog in a heartless machine that starts off by hiring them as a "human resource" instead of a "person"nel. Employees aren't even classed as "people"now, they are just "stock" like stuff on the shelf in the warehouse, or no more important than the copier.
Modern businesses are bad about abusing employees, they want trained rats, not human beings. For some people, a cute screen saver might be to that person a tremendous morale booster, trivial as it may seem to someone else. Modern corporate life and life in consumerville and taxhell USA is bad enough when things are going smoothly, take away peoples human-ness,their individuality, turn them into--I dunno, hive creatures, termites, to force them into some mold beyond reason, is not only cruel, it's insane from a business standpoint as well, you won't have happy camper employees, ever.
A compromise might be better, something along like, personalization of your desktop is acceptable, provided the installed piece of eyecandy crap or whatever is reviewed for being spyware or malware first. Yes, more work for the techs, so what, that's their job, keep the computers happy so that the happy computers make the humans sitting in front of them happy, working, so that your company can keep making happy profits. Seems reasonable to me.
Give you an example. I used to work for a guy didn't allow playing the radio. Umm, I work outside all my life mostly,blue collar, not white collar jobs, but the principle is the same. The radio didn't interfere with squat, but it "wasn't allowed". Me being able to hear my news and talk shows and a few tunes now and then keeps me happy and productive. Not having it annoys me right off the bat, I started dreading going to work because it meant a lot to me and it was such a BS rule, finally I quit, and I can guarantee I wasn't as productive as I could be, and starting each day off with animosity towards the boss is just not a good idea.
Just a few thoughts. I fully understand how vital secure computers are,and surely there's a way to keep all the people who use them at the shop at least partly satisifed that "their" machine they get to use is somehow really "theirs" for the time they sit in front of it every day. NOT doing that would be- like- insisting that the company trucks have their seats bolted down in one general position, so that no one could adjust them to "fit" better. Sure, you could still drive the truck, but really....