The sixth development release of the OpenSolaris-based, desktop-oriented Nexenta OS has been released: "Nexenta OS Alpha 6 is now available. Release Highlights: Nexenta Zones - opens the possibility to create custom zones and pre-install with selected software; integrated BrandZ - allows running Linux userland; SVR4 packaging - to install native Solaris packages (missing drivers, etc.); OpenSolaris build 50, with numerous kernel fixes and features."
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Member since:2006-06-26
Erast, I have tried Nexenta myself and think it is a very good effort and a very good OS. However, I still don't see the benefit. So far there is really nothing that could e.g. convince me to switch servers to (Open)Solaris. Debian scales well, is going to have OpenVZ support in Etch, has two very good journaling filesystems etc. Suits me just fine. zfs, zones and dtrace are great - but it's not enough to just add some great technical innovations
On the desktop Nexenta/Solaris is a good effort - not more, not less. There are just too many drivers missing. If that's so easy to work around, remains to be discussed. I honestly doubt it.
The community around Nexenta is very, very small - and the community around OpenSolaris is, well, just sufficient. It cannot be compared at all to e.g. Debian's or, on a broader base, Linux'.
"major surgery" is a bit over the top. Certainly, there are many things at the kernel level that are constantly being worked at at the kernel level. But then an enterprise customer normally has a Red Hat or SUSE enterprise edition from the start. And home users probably stick with Ubuntu 6.06 - not a bad choice.
Member since:2006-01-16
Well personaly I agree with you.
This just goes to show that technologicly inferior products tend to get used most. I think we could find alot of comparisons in history starting with VCR vs Betamax etc.
Linux is without argument much inferior by design (I'm talking about kernels here ok?) compared to eg: freeBSD or solaris.
The problem is, Linux has "hype" and years of contributions to drivers. Solaris, altho based on old system, is "young" in this open regard, and freeBSD has smaller following mostly (as I hear) because of certain old legal issues.
I'm sure that both would be better, should they ride the same hypewave, than linux by now.
Member since:
2006-01-31
> You think having a stable will encourage more vendors
> to create drivers for it? Better think again. Writing
> drivers is difficult on any platform. Vendors clearly
> wont divert resources into this unless there is enough
> demand. Period.
NexentaOS using OpenSolaris core which is literally a core for Solaris and other OpenSolaris-based distributions. This means, any driver written for Solaris/OpenSolaris will happily work for NexentaOS.
> But I think the NexentaOS folks exaggerate to much
> about their technology being superior to Linux when
> it clearly is not true.
I don't think so. Linux needs major surgery and a lot of efforts before it will reach OpenSolaris design wise. While OpenSolaris needs to close the gap on Desktop and missing drivers, which is way easier goal to achive.