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RE: FW: Sun sets Solaris x86 free

From: Boivin, Patrice J <BoivinP_at_mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 12:19:25 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.005DA1AF.20031216121925@fatcity.com>


Linux is just not an option in some environments.

: )

Patrice

-----Original Message-----
Sent: December 15, 2003 9:24 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

That's right, it is just another crap. I would rather use Linux instead of Solarix for x86.

>
> On 2003.12.15 07:09, "Boivin, Patrice J" wrote:
> > Now if Oracle could release a version of its products for Solaris x86.
>
> Why would you use it? So that SUN can, at Scott McNealy's whim, start
charging for it?
> What is needed is not yet another Unix for x86, support for already
existing public domain
> Unix like system. SUN will have to accept Linux, not compete against it,
just like IBM did.
>
> >
> > Patrice.
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/61/34450.html
> > > <http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/61/34450.html>
> > >
> > > Sun sets Solaris x86 free
> > > By Ashlee Vance in Chicago <mailto:ashlee.vance_at_theregister.co.uk
> > > <mailto:ashlee.vance_at_theregister.co.uk> >
> > > Posted: 10/12/2003 at 23:01 GMT
> > >
> > > Almost two years after it went on hiatus, Sun Microsystems' Solaris
x86
> > > has come back in full form with free downloads of the operating system
> > > becoming available once again, The Register has discovered.
> > >
> > > Some users call Sun's decision to give Solaris x86 away again a small
> > > step, but without doubt the move does bring some degree of closure to
part
> > > of a messy affair. Starting this week, Sun has removed the $20
price-tag
> > > for the OS - versions 8 and 9, replacing it with a red FREE sign
> > > <http://wwws.sun.com/software/solaris/binaries/get.html
> > > <http://wwws.sun.com/software/solaris/binaries/get.html> > instead. A
fair
> > > number of Sun users have kept a close eye on this saga and will
remember
> > > that it was way back in Jan. of 2002 when Sun first said it would halt
> > > development on Solaris x86 only to buckle and bring the OS back at
cost.
> > >
> > > Big Solaris x86 fan Bruce Riddle wrote
> > > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/solarisx86/message/1433?threaded=1
> > > <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/solarisx86/message/1433?threaded=1> >,
> > > "This is really great news and shows that Sun is committed to Solaris
> > > x86," on a message board dedicated to the subject.
> > >
> > > And why not pat Sun on the back?
> > >
> > > Since giving Solaris x86 users the finger two year ago, Sun has worked
> > > rather hard to put the OS for Intel and AMD processors on equal
footing
> > > with Solaris/Sparc and Linux. Sun has vowed to have its entire
enterprise
> > > software stack - known as the Java Enterprise System - run on Solaris
x86.
> > > In addition, Sun now has Athlon, Xeon and, yes, Opteron hardware to
run
> > > its OS. The Opteron bit is a particular point of interest, as Sun is
> > > quickly establishing itself as the premier enterprise Unix supplier
for
> > > the new chip.
> > >
> > > Guns blazing, right?
> > >
> > > Well, a rather feisty chap from Penn State University named John
Groenveld
> > > doesn't think so.
> > >
> > > Groenveld owns the title of the most disgruntled Solaris x86 user on
the
> > > planet and relishes this role. When Sun was trying to back away from
the
> > > OS, it was Groenveld that gathered funds to place ads in major dailies
> > > blasting Sun CEO Scott McNealy for abandoning a very loyal portion of
the
> > > company's user base. One point of interest there is that some Sun
> > > engineers actually helped fund the ads.
> > >
> > > Now Groenveld is ready to strike again for what he is calling a
"customer
> > > service failure at Sun." He is threating to launch another ad
campaign.
> > >
> > > "The January 8 anniversary (of Sun nixing Solaris x86) is an important
> > > date for the community to make this failure clear," he said.
> > >
> > > Groenveld is an associate research engineer at Penn State - a
university
> > > that has been running Solaris x86 in production since the early 1990s.
> > > When Sun seemed to waver on the OS, "they left the university in the
> > > lurch." And so resentment was born.
> > >
> > > What Groenveld wants is direct and consistent answers from what he
sees as
> > > sparring divisions within Sun - the Solaris stalwarts and the Linux
> > > upstarts.
> > >
> > > In particular, Groenveld wants to know
> > > <http://www.save-solaris.org/estrin-2003-09-04.html
> > > <http://www.save-solaris.org/estrin-2003-09-04.html> > where copies of
> > > StarOffice 7.0 for Solaris x86 are hiding. Over at StarOffice central,
> > > you'll
> > > notice<http://wwws.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/requirements.html>
> > > Solaris x86 seems to be missing from the supported OS list.
> > >
> > > It took Sun a few months, but they have promised Groenveld a copy of
the
> > > office suite for Solaris x86 is coming. He would just like Sun to make
> > > this clear in a public fashion to convince those users nervous about
Sun's
> > > intentions that the product is most certainly on its way.
> > >
> > > "Just put it up on the product page so at least people know it will be
> > > there eventually," Groenveld said.
> > >
> > > Now, there are certain workers within Sun that think Groenveld pushes
a
> > > bit too hard. The company can't be perfect, and it's doing all it can
to
> > > get this OS going again, they say.
> > >
> > > While this debate is best left between the respective parties, we can
say
> > > that a tremendous amount of work is going on right now within the
Solaris
> > > x86 group at Sun and that enthusiasm for the OS from the engineering
side
> > > seems to be at an all-time high.
> > >
> > > Take, for example, Sun's official reason for brining the free download
> > > program back.
> > >
> > > "Sun recently reviewed its strategy for the downloading of the Solaris
OS
> > > and the impacts that charging a nominal fee has on a global market,"
Sun
> > > said. "By eliminating the download charge for all versions of Solaris
OS,
> > > Sun is enabling its many customers that are unable to place orders in
US
> > > Dollars--for example in Asia and Europe--to download Solaris easily.
With
> > > the announcement of Sun's alliance with AMD, there is an accelerating
> > > global demand for Solaris x86 that can be quickly addressed by
improving
> > > the download experience for potential customers and evaluators of the
> > > Solaris x86 OS for both 32 and 64-bit platforms."
> > >
> > > So there you have it, Sun does have guns blazing after all.
> > >
> > > It's good to have Groenveld watching Sun, making sure promises are
kept.
> > > Users should see his enthusiasm for what it is - an unrelenting urge
to
> > > thrust Solaris on the Wintel world.
> > >
> > > While Sun may have its slip ups here and there, the company seems well
on
> > > its way to making Solaris x86 a solid production platform of choice
for
> > > Intel and AMD users. (r)
> > >
> > >
> >
>
> --
> Mladen Gogala
> Oracle DBA
> --
> Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net
> --
> Author: Mladen Gogala
> INET: mgogala_at_adelphia.net
>
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Author: Boivin, Patrice J
  INET: BoivinP_at_mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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Received on Tue Dec 16 2003 - 14:19:25 CST

Original text of this message

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