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22.04.2008 11:31 - category: World News : Yahoo News
- Source: Yahoo tech A new release of Ubuntu Server, version 8.04, is scheduled to be available for free download Thursday with more enterprise qualities than previous releases. The move puts Canonical's Ubuntu, heretofore a consumer-oriented, desktop version of Linux, on more of a collision course with Red Hat Enterprise and Novell Suse Linux Enterprise.| ADVERTISEMENT |
Ubuntu Server 8.04 will be supported for five years, only the second version of Ubuntu to be guaranteed Long Term Support, with the previous 6.06 version also receiving the LTS designation. Ubuntu follows its own naming convention on releases, using the year followed by the month to come up with 6.06, released in June 2006, or 8.04 released in April 2008.
Surprisingly, this version of Ubuntu also appears precertified to run on x86 servers from Sun Microsystems, the first server manufacturer to certify Ubuntu on its hardware. They include the Sun Fire X2100 M2, X2200 M2, and the Sun Fire X4150.
"The release of 8.04 is targeted at the enterprise," said Barton George, group manager of free and open source software at Sun. So the company decided to add it to the same certification process Sun uses with enterprise distributions Red Hat and Suse.
Version 8.04 has been combed for stability issues and tested to make it more reliable, said Mark Shuttleworth, the London-based CEO of Canonical, distributor of Ubuntu. "We commit to bring out a new LTS version every two years. We hope we can establish a cadence with these releases," he said in an interview.
The Sun certification covers its one-, two-, and four-way x86-based server models. Ubuntu hasn't invested in optimizing its system for server operation beyond the four-way models, Shuttleworth said. At the same time, it is talking to Dell, HP, and IBM about getting them to offer certification that Ubuntu is ready to run out of the box on their x86-based hardware as well.
Ubuntu 8.04 has key Windows integration features. Through a third-party product from Likewise Software, Likewise Enterprise, Ubuntu 8.04 can use services from Microsoft's Active Directory user identification system.
"The key thing is integration with Windows networks," said Shuttleworth. The Likewise product makes it possible to administer Linux through the same management console as Windows administrators are accustomed to using.
It is distributed with the Open JDK or Java Development Kit, which means Ubuntu for the first comes with a Java virtual machine and can run Java applications loaded onto it.
The Ubuntu Server kernel has been hardened against intruders and the 8.04 distribution will include Novell's AppArmour open source policy setting and enforcement software, Shuttleworth said.
In addition, the distribution includes the open source Alfresco content management application, Bacula network backup, Parallels virtualization, Qumranet desktop virtualization based on KVM, Tresys security, Zend Technology's PHP, and Zimbra online e-mail and applications.
When it comes to virtualization, Ubuntu makes use of the kernel with KVM in it; it supports the open source Xen hypervisor as a separate kernel packet. It also has partnered with VMware to ensure VMware's ESX hypervisor runs with Ubuntu 8.04, he said.
"Our approach is not to compete with the virtualization vendors," he noted.
See original article on InformationWeek.com
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