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OpenSolaris is an operating system (OS), a source base, and a community. The project's goals are innovation, collaboration, and the extension of OpenSolaris technology.

 There are some key OpenSolaris-related technologies like:

OpenSolaris Source Code: This is the source base for open development of the Operating System.It consists of several components called consolidations. At present, the OpenSolaris source base is not enough to bootstrap an entire system, so developers start by downloading an OpenSolaris distribution and installing the OpenSolaris bits on top.

OpenSolaris 2008.05: This is a community-developed binary distribution of an operating system based on the OpenSolaris source code, and it's the first release from Project Indiana. It runs on Intel and AMD processors on the server and desktop. It is free to use, modify, and redistribute. Support is available from Sun Microsystems.

Solaris Express Community Edition: This is Sun's unsupported binary release of OpenSolaris plus additional technology not released as source. The release is also known as Nevada and it is updated every two weeks, available as a free download.

Solaris OS: This is Sun's fully supported and tested enterprise operating system, and future versions of Solaris will be based on technology from the OpenSolaris project. Solaris is available as a free binary download, and Sun offers service packages and regular updates.


OpenSolaris binary distribution :

What does the OpenSolaris OS binary release mean for other OpenSolaris distributions?

The OpenSolaris community has several distributions controlled by their respective project teams. None of the freedoms that allow for the creation of derived works of the OpenSolaris code base are affected by this distribution, although new distributions may be built as customized versions of the OpenSolaris OS. Sun retains control over its distributions (Solaris 10, Solaris Express) and may consolidate its release model around the OpenSolaris OS at some point in the future.

Will this OpenSolaris binary distribution replace Solaris Express Community edition?

In the future, Sun will discontinue providing Solaris Express Community Edition and instead offer service and support for the OpenSolaris OS. OpenSolaris developers still have a need for frequent unsupported builds (currently named Solaris Express Community Edition), and these builds will continue to be provided.


Source code of the OpenSolaris project :

Initially, the OpenSolaris project included source for the kernel, networking, libraries, and commands from Sun's Solaris OS. This set of source is often referred to as the OS/Networking consolidation (O/N). But since the launch, source for additional parts of that system have been released, and the goal is to make as much of the Solaris OS source available as legally possible. Ultimately, source code repositories for most of the Solaris OS will be available on opensolaris.org. The OpenSolaris Roadmap has more detail about when other components might be available, and we compiled a list of OS/Networking (O/N) components currently not included as source.

Why did Sun open source the Solaris OS?

There are many reasons for the decision:
• A community development model creates opportunities for collaboration between Sun and the developer and user community.
• Many Solaris OS customers care about and require open source.
• It allows Sun and its partners to participate in more projects that require open source software.
• Open sourcing creates a platform for a new generation of innovation by allowing developers to leverage the Solaris technology.
• It opens up opportunities in new markets for Solaris: for example, startups can now build a product around the OpenSolaris technology.

Is OpenSolaris for SPARC and x86 architectures?

Yes. There is only one source base for the Solaris operating system for both SPARC and x64/x86 systems, and binaries are built from that common source. By open sourcing the common Solaris source base you automatically get the code for all Solaris-supported platforms.

License for OpenSolaris source code :

OpenSolaris community contributions and Sun-written/-owned code is released under the Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL) Version 1.0 -- an Open Source Initiative (OSI)-approved open source license. The OpenSolaris project also includes a number of existing open source project components, which are released under their current licenses (e.g., Perl is licensed under The Perl Artistic License).

What license is used for the OpenSolaris OS?

OpenSolaris 2008.05 is licensed using the OpenSolaris Binary License.

Is OpenSolaris free software?

Yes, OpenSolaris is free to use, free to modify, and free to redistribute.

Do It need to register to download OpenSolaris from opensolaris.org or opensolaris.com?

Registration is not required to download the source code or binary distribution.

What version of the Solaris OS is OpenSolaris?

The latest development release of the OpenSolaris source code roughly corresponds to Solaris 10 plus development work completed since the release of the Solaris 10. At this time, Sun has no plans to open source the code for the Solaris 10 release or earlier releases.

Security in the Solaris OS:

The Solaris source code has been available on a controlled basis for many years, and this has enhanced the security features of the system. Open source software is well-known for its advantages when it comes to security. Security is all about getting the details right, so having thousands of people examining the source code dramatically reduces the chance that an important bug remains undiscovered and ensures the fastest possible resolution.