Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 5th May 2008 17:12 UTC, submitted by Dale Smoker
Sun Solaris, OpenSolaris OpenSolaris 2008.5, the new distribution based on the OpenSolaris operating system, has been released into the wild. This release follows the conventions set by many of the popular Linux distributions, such as being based on a single live CD with installer, but also adds a load of OpenSolaris-specific features such as ZFS, DTrace, Containers, and a new package management system, IPS. OpenSolaris 2008.5 is the fruit of Project Indiana.
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RE[3]: Finally!
by segedunum on Mon 5th May 2008 20:55 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: Finally!"
segedunum
Member since:
2005-07-06

Please ask yourself what constructive reason there was to say such a thing. It is perfectly reasonable to expect not to have to edit your profile to make the backspace key work in the year 2008.

Have to agree really. When you look at OpenSolaris, and its inability to do Virtual Terminals as well, you really have to ask what you're getting. All they're doing is stuff that Linux distros fixed......years ago.

It makes Linux look as ready for the desktop as it ever was, and it's actually a decent reminder just how much has improved.

Edited 2008-05-05 20:55 UTC

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 4

RE[4]: Finally!
by Arun on Mon 5th May 2008 21:25 in reply to "RE[3]: Finally!"
Arun Member since:
2005-07-07


Have to agree really. When you look at OpenSolaris, and its inability to do Virtual Terminals as well, you really have to ask what you're getting. All they're doing is stuff that Linux distros fixed......years ago.


Err let's see ZFS snapshotting before system updates seem like something no Linux distro supports.

It makes Linux look as ready for the desktop as it ever was, and it's actually a decent reminder just how much has improved.


Yet Linux has a minuscule desktop market share of 2.02%. MacOS X doesn't do Virtual Consoles either but has more market share, 7.3 %. MacOS X has been around since 2001. Linux since 1992. MacOS X

Bottom line virtual consoles don't sell anything.

Do you really have to pick at straws on every Sun related topic? It would make sense if you ever had a reasonable argument to make.

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 4

RE[5]: Finally!
by segedunum on Mon 5th May 2008 23:51 in reply to "RE[4]: Finally!"
segedunum Member since:
2005-07-06

Err let's see ZFS snapshotting before system updates seem like something no Linux distro supports.

We've been through ZFS before. Some of its features are a bit neater than existing solutions, but alas, a lot of Solaris folks think it's the second coming of Christ. It isn't, and they get mighty upset at anyone who thinks that it isn't.

As I've pointed out before, snapshotting isn't as free as the ZFS folks want to make it look because you still need to account for differences between the original and the snapshot. If you don't have the space to safely account for a snapshot, and changes between it and the original, you will have trouble. On a desktop, that is nearly always the case.

You're going to need a lot more than that to attract users, because people would rather updates just, you know, worked. It's a transparent thing.

Yet Linux has a minuscule desktop market share of 2.02%. MacOS X doesn't do Virtual Consoles....

Blah, blah, blah, Mac OS X crops up. Shock, horror. Linux is used on more desktops than Solaris is, and the bottom line is, if you want to sell Solaris to those people (which is why OpenSolaris exists) then you're going to have to fix various things that Linux distros did years ago.

If you believe that educating users that a backspace doesn't delete text is acceptable then you need a padded cell. Seriously.

Bottom line virtual consoles don't sell anything.

You're very, very anxious about specifics, and people who do that don't want to face the bigger picture.

Bottom line is that if you are selling OpenSolaris to some people already using Linux, and expect them to contribute to OpenSolaris (which is what Sun is hoping), then giving people less functionality than what they have now with much the same software isn't really going to work.

Do you really have to pick at straws on every Sun related topic?

I am somewhat suspicious of a company who runs around telling everyone that OpenSolaris is an open source project and is just like Linux, when it just isn't:

http://mail.opensolaris.org/pipermail/ogb-discuss/2008-February/004...

It just smacks of marketing. It's OK. I don't expect you to read it.

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RE[4]: Finally!
by jptros on Tue 6th May 2008 15:27 in reply to "RE[3]: Finally!"
jptros Member since:
2005-08-26

When you look at OpenSolaris, and its inability to do Virtual Terminals as well, you really have to ask what you're getting.


It's not an inability, it's a lack of pre-configuration, just like with the backspace key. With that being said, give the guys time to iron out the bugs and add new features. They're already doing loads of work on the system, you can't expect it all in the first release. There has been a lot of work and effort put into getting this first release out.

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 1