Solution Providers Upbeat About First UnitedLinux Distribution
UnitedLinux 1.0, unveiled at Comdex here recently, is a standards-based, enterprise-class Linux distribution largely based on SuSE's Enterprise Linux Server code. UnitedLinux 1.0 was developed by a four-member consortium comprised of The SCO Group, SuSE Linux, TurboLinux and Conectiva.
At the show, SCO unveiled SCO Linux 4.0, and SuSE unveiled its SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8,the first Linux distributions on the market based on the UnitedLinux 1.0 code. SCO is aiming at the SMB market, while SuSE is targeting enterprise customers and resellers.
UNITEDLINUX APPEAL
>> Developed by SCO Group, SuSE Linux, TurboLinux and Conectiva.
>> Major ISVs such as IBM and CA pledge support.
>> Could become a standard as an alternative to Red Hat Linux.
TurboLinux and Conectiva each plan to unveil products based on the new OS in the near future, said a UnitedLinux spokeswoman.
Last May, the UnitedLinux member companies announced plans for a uniform Linux distribution that would enable ISVs to develop applications that run seamlessly on all four vendors' products. It is intended to become the second major Linux distribution next to Red Hat's Linux and Advanced Server, which now own more than 50 percent market share to date.
Mainline Information Systems, a SuSE reseller and IBM Global Partner, said it may take some time for UnitedLinux to become established, but it is a step forward in creating another standard Linux OS in the market besides Red Hat's Linux.
"What we feared is that Linux would go the way of Unix and each vendor would have its own variant, and there would be incompatibilities. UnitedLinux addresses that and creates a standard," said Jimmy Lee, director of emerging technologies at Mainline, Tallahassee, Fla. "[Creating a standard will take a period of time, but it will work."
UnitedLinux enables ISVs to port their applications to one single Linux distribution, rather than having to recompile for various vendors' distributions. Major ISVs including IBM, Computer Associates International, BMC Software, SAP, Borland, Network Appliance and Oracle have pledged to support UnitedLinux. Siebel Systems is also in discussions with the group, UnitedLinux officials said.
The UnitedLinux distribution should be more appealing to customers and partners because it offers more enterprise/business-class features. It also offers major advantages to channel partners, which no longer will have to learn and support multiple Linux distributions, UnitedLinux officials said.
The UnitedLinux 1.0 distribution, for example, offers many enterprise-class features, including scalability and availability improvements that will be part of the forthcoming Linux 2.6 kernel. Also included are Kerberos security, integration of numerous Linux file systems, a built-in development environment and support for network storage management. In addition, UnitedLinux 1.0 offers cross-platform support for Intel's 32-bit and 64-bit Itanium platform, AMD processors and IBM's full line of eServers including the xSeries, iSeries and pSeries and zSeries mainframe.
"Clearly, this is a commercial endeavor," said Paula Hunter, general manager of UnitedLinux, Wakefield, Mass. "We have interest from a broad range of [users," she said. "It's
a signal Linux is being mainstreamed into the business market."