Sun Microsystems is the latest company to become a patron of the Free Software Foundation. The FSF's corporate patron program allows companies to provide financial sponsorship for the FSF in return for free license consulting services. High-profile FSF patron affiliates include prominent technology companies like Google, Nokia, IBM, Cisco, and Intel. FSF involvement represents Sun's latest attempt to take a more active role in the open-source software community.
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Member since:2005-07-06
I look forward to a usable alternative to Linux on desktops and laptops within 2 or 3 years. Right now the installers for Linux and the driver availability are more user-friendly and reliable than anything available for Solaris.
Pardon, but I've been using Solaris on my desktop and Laptop for the past two years. It was a usable alternative for developers like me then, and still is now. Just as Linux deskstops are not useable for some, Solaris desktops are not usable for others. It is all a matter of perpsective and need.
But having a mature operating system joining the Free Software family is valuable and appreciated. Obviously, Sun wants more exposure and legitimacy through this and they are bound to get it.
Solaris joined the Free Operating System family over a year ago. This SUN officially associating themselves with a corporate sponsorship and has nothing to do with the OS.
Everyone assumes that just because SUN is doing this means that OpenSolaris will be licensed or dual-licensed under the GPLv3. That is not true. That remains undecided.
Member since:
2006-01-28
Great news.
I look forward to a usable alternative to Linux on desktops and laptops within 2 or 3 years. Right now the installers for Linux and the driver availability are more user-friendly and reliable than anything available for Solaris.
But having a mature operating system joining the Free Software family is valuable and appreciated. Obviously, Sun wants more exposure and legitimacy through this and they are bound to get it.
They have gone from the stuff I would not touch with a 10-foot pole to stuff I am interesting in and may soon test on some test boxes.
It would be paradoxical if Linus and company let their current success in the market blind them as to the long-term benefits of GPLv.3, thereby creating a huge hole in the market for someone like SUN to fill.