Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

This has been covered everywhere, I know, but this is a Linux bent site and I had to throw in my .02.

Sun is going to be offering Linux on Sun hardware products. Sun is creating their own distribution rather than using any existing. Sun says this will be beneficial to customers on the lower end Sun hardware but that of course the really big machines will still need Solaris.

Personally, I think they are right on, except that the big machines wouldnt really need Solaris but hey, they cant totally abandon their own technology. At one time Sun proclaimed that they would never use Linux because they could not support 2 operating systems. Hmmmm, now it seems they can. Solaris still has a place and needs to stay around, for now. However, in the long run, IMHO, it would make more sense for Sun to replace Solaris altogether with Sun Linux. Linux can handle the job, but that would cause upheaval with the Sun faithful, migration issues, public relations problems, etc. But make no mistake, Linux can do it and it would save Sun cash to have one operating system to develop and support.

I think this is a shrewd move by Sun whom not to long ago scorned Linux (the whole Cobalt thing, they were going to replace Linux.) Sun recognizes the widespread usage of Linux and the adaptability, reliability and capability are all there. This is a move that makes sense. McNealy wearing a penguin suit is GOOD for Sun.

That being said I think it is also a good idea for Sun to develop their own distro. When you think about it, Sun developing their own Linux distro, how much different is that than gnuized-Solaris? Ok, the internals of the kernel, etc, are different, but what do you use a big ole Sun box with Solaris on it for? You run Sendmail, BIND, apache, netscape enterprise, tomcat, weblogic, etc. You install the GNU tools, etc. You have to hit sunfreeware.com 4 or 5 times before the box is completely setup. So why not just use the Linux kernel, find the packages you want to use, add any Sun specific stuff (system monitoring, drivers, etc) and the call it Sinux? Ok maybe that name sucks, but you get the idea, it makes total sense for Sun to embrace Linux. Customers need it and its \"low hanging fruit\" for Sun that allows them to reign in things like support, brand recognition, etc, that would otherwise be lost. Sun is about hardware, plain and simple, Sun is not about operating systems (they have other software, granted, for example Java, but people use Sun for the hardware, not the operating system.)

I also think a Sun team working on Linux will benefit the Linux community and the Linux image as a whole. Sun is not always \"open\" with what they produce by any means (java) but they will bring serious research and development to the table.

Good move Sun. For more info take a look at the linked ZDNet article on the matter --->   Sun goes Linux: ZDNet