News

Sun Releases New Dev Tools for OpenSolaris

• By John K. Waters
• February 21, 2007

Sun Microsystems is releasing new tools and expanded services to make it easier for developers to build and deploy Web infrastructures on the open-source Solaris 10 operating system.

Aimed at Internet startups and Web 2.0 companies, the product lineup includes:

Solaris Express, Developer Edition. This new OpenSolaris distribution comes with a free suite of tools, technologies, and platforms for creating applications for the Solaris OS, Java technology, and Web 2.0 environments. It's designed to provide developers with a fully integrated dev environment, and it supports a variety of common x86-based desktop and laptop hardware. It also offers a simplified install experience, Sun says, so that companies can get Solaris-based apps up and running more easily, reduce development time, and ultimately, save money.

This release comes with an improved GNOME-based desktop, Sun Studio 11 software, the NetBeans IDE (version 5.5), and more than 150 open-source applications. Sun plans to release regular updates to Solaris Express, the company says.

Solaris + AMP. This is a version of a popular open-source Web server stack optimized for Solaris 10. "Solaris + AMP" is a variation on "LAMP," which includes the Linux OS; the Apache Web server; the MySQL DBS; and the PHP, Perl, or Python programming languages. It comes with Sun developer tools and other open source technologies. Sun is pitching Solaris + AMP as an alternative that provides "a more secure platform with greater scalability for building and deploying Web applications" than Linux.

As part of the new program, Sun is posting a "recipe for success" of step-by-step instructions to get customers up and running, as well as several levels of Sun Services. Solaris + AMP also leverages Sun's Try and Buy Program where customers can receive a free 60 day trial of Sun systems including: Sun Fire x64 (x86, 64-bit) servers, Sun Fire servers with CoolThreads technology, Sun Ultra Workstations and Sun Storage systems.

Sun Startup Essentials program. Sun also announced that it has expanded its hardware discount and technical support program for startup companies. The expanded program now provides online access to Sun hardware, including the Sun Fire x64 servers and Sun Fire servers with CoolThreads technology running the Solaris 10 OS or other operating systems. The company has added Sun StorageTek modular disk arrays, NAS, and tape storage products to the program. Along with the free online technical resources already offered, the program now provides participants with free technical advice and guidance via e-mail.

"Internet start-ups and Web 2.0 companies have shown a preference for open-source software running on x86 hardware platforms," said Rich Green, Sun's executive vice president of software, in a statement. "With this announcement, we are making it easier and less expensive for them to get up and running with familiar tools, like Apache and MySQL, combined with the superior security and performance of Solaris 10 and attractive programs to tie it all together."