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Open Solaris Derivative Available
tezbobobo writes "Well, Open Solaris has only been available a matter of days and already there are new projects available. SchilliX is an OpenSolaris-based live CD and distribution that is intended to help people discover OpenSolaris. When installed on a hard drive, it also allows developers to develop and compile code in a pure OpenSolaris environment. More details are available on the author's blog."
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Pure OpenSolaris boots on x86
Today, I have been able to boot from a disk that was empty before I did install a self compiled OpenSolaris on it.
So we now reached a certain limit that makes it possible to start with creating a OpenSolaris based x86 distribution at BerliOS.
Battle of *nix(es) is on!!
Technically, can't I change one line of code or some small functionality and call it a derivative? It even sounds like they didn't do much: "When installed on a hard drive, it also allows developers to develop and compile code in a pure OpenSolaris environment."
It seems just a cut-down version (text only) of Solaris, so where's the improvement?
What is the *primary* reason anyone would use Open Solaris over Linux, *BSD, and Windows?
When I use Linux, it is because I am hosting/running existing software like Trac/Subversion/PostgreSQL/... which appear most heavily used/tested on Linux than any other platform.
When I use FreeBSD, it is because I am hosting/running/distributing my own software and I don't want to deal with LGPL requirements regarding binaries linked to LGPL C libs (yes, I consultant an IP attorney about differences between GPL and LGPL requirements and also consulted FSF.ORG).
When I use Windows, it is because I am running software that is not available on either FreeBSD or Linux. And also for distributing software on a platform that has the largest marketshare.
When I use Open Solaris, it is because ???
The pointy-hairs did get it eventually, but they RIF'd us and let external people do it instead. Meanwhile millions of $s of R&D money was wasted on stupid projects that were not needed, ill-concieved, cancelled, etc.
It looks like a interesting distro, and I'd be partially interested in downloading it and taking a look at it if wasn't for the whining and complaining about the GPL he makes. I don't like the idea of my contributions potentially being distributed/used in a closed-source project [total value of my code: err.. about 2 cents] if I contribute to an open-source (GPL or Compatible license) project, and the GPL gives me that control [not that I'm concerned about it]. I've not got much code out there [mostly really small bug-fix snippets], but what is out there is covered under the GPL and anyone can use it under the GPL.
Not that I'm saying Solaris is a bad OS, (OOB it's pretty much worthless until you add GNU tools to it) but it's a damn sight better than Xenix or NT 4.51.
" Yes, Linux is such a "mess" that Sun have been _forced_ to copy it !" Actually, it looks like the reverse is already starting to happen. And in the past the linux kernel guys were able to get info from solaris and solaris engineers. here Some comments are negative some are positive but Solaris is mentioned the most by far out of any of the commercial Unixes. I can't find the link right now but I remember someone saying that back in the day Sun was a lot more open with it's technology. Sun engineers would publish info about their hardware and software. Especially when someone was having some sort of trouble. Then they got a little more closed down. Probably when they were making a ton of money. Sounds like Scott McNealy recognizes that and wants Sun to go back to being more open.
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BSDs more likely than Linux because of licensing restrictions. Although a good number of drivers for the linux kernel are written as modules and don't have to have to be GPL'd. In fact there are a number of drivers that are released under a BSD license as well as proprietary, binary-only drivers. Also more hardware venders might support the Solaris x86 platform. nVidia released Solaris 10 x86/x64 drivers.
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Wouldn't this be good for hosting? You could sell zones w/ root like linode.com does with UML. Is anyone doing this or planning on it?
-Don
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I do believe I've heard that it's already running on the sbus-based sun4u's (Ultra 1 and Ultra 2), and there actually is a lot of interest in getting this for the sun4m's (Sparc 4, Sparc 5, Sparc 10, Sparc 20).
It'd be kinda fun to pull my old IPX out of the closet again to try cramming OpenSolaris into it :-)
We apologize for the inconvenience.
He, like many people, does not use linux as his primary OS. He is just nice enough to make software that works on linux. He relied on an API that is not supposed to be changed. Do you honestly expect him to spend all his time searching changelogs of various operating systems checking to see if the developers are changing stable APIs on him? If you are going to alter the API, it would be reasonable to email people who write important software that relies on that API. And there is no reason to change the API, linux developers simply do not consider keeping an API stable to be important.