October 16th, 2007
Can OpenSolaris become an alternative to enterprise Linux?
Sun’s “open source road map” is to make OpenSolaris a viable alternative to enterprise Linux through a simpler install package and alliances in the enterprise open source space.
The featured speaker for yesterday’s open source summit at the Santa Clara headquarters was Debian founder Ian Murdock, who joined Sun earlier this year in part to make the OpenSolaris install process simpler. He also spread the word that Sun is Linux-friendly.
Murdock’s bailiwick is Project Indiana, an OpenSolaris binary. The idea is to get something basic you can give away on a CD, with users adding additional capabilities from the network. He’s also working on an Image Packing System that lets you roll-back an upgrade.
Another special guest was Josh Berkus, the project lead for PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL has always sold itself as a more mature, robust, enterprise-ready alternative to mySQL. Berkus said his program’s biggest problems lie in support, training and knowledge, all areas where Sun stands out.
An alliance with Sun makes special sense for PostgreSQL given the fact mySQL is now aiming its pitch toward CIOs.
The attitude toward Linux was best exemplified by the OpenJDK, which is supporting a Red Hat project dubbed Iced Tea aimed at making it easier to run under Linux. (Now that all the good coffee names are taken, I’m looking for Project Egg Cream.)
Simon Phipps was master of ceremonies for the day, and made all the right noises about what open source is, how Sun supports open source, and yada yada yada. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The question now is how much of the enterprise Linux market can Sun grab, and will that be enough to keep Wall Street happy with Sun’s open source direction? Or will they make Jonathan Schwartz cut his hair?
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist for 30 years, a tech freelancer since 1983. You can follow Dana on Twitter. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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| 10/16/07
