Nexenta: OpenSolaris Core and Ubuntu UserLand
Previously, I wrote an article entitled Fun with Solaris 10 where I reviewed the official Sun-released Solaris 10 operating system and the Belenix OpenSolaris LiveCD distribution. I did even more browsing on possible things to do with OpenSolaris. Right now, I am checking out another OpenSolaris-based distribution. This one is called Nexenta. What makes this distribution interesting is that it does not attempt to bundle an entirely new userland by itself. It makes use of the Debian userland as its core.
NexentaOS is completely open source and free of any charge. It contains Apache, MySQL, Perl/Python/PHP, Firefox, Evolution, software update manager, Synaptic package manager, Gaim Instant Messenger, abiword, administration & development utilities, editors, graphics, GNOME, interpreters, libraries and many others. All of this is running on the state-of-the-art SunOS kernel.
From the get go this looked like the most mature (I use this term relatively of course) OpenSolaris distribution out there. The last two distributions (Belenix and Schilix) I tried did not detect my Intel graphics adapter properly. They were very limited in functionality and applications. I am always a firm believe that a good interface is one of the way to get user mindshare. Last June 2006, the NexentaOS project just released version Alpha 5 into the market. I have decided to try it out. I downloaded the installation CDROM and decided to give it a shot.
I was not impressed by the installation process. It has a really crude but function text-based installer. There were not that many installation options yet, but, this will probably improve in the future as more features become supported. However, it did come with an ASCII-art version of Tetris that made the installation waiting time bearable.
However, upon boot up things changed. I immediately saw a pretty polished user interface and a complete userland system booting up. This is probably because the userland tools are based on Ubuntu’s Dapper Drake (Version 6.06) release. For those familiar with Ubuntu, the current Nexenta user interface will be exactly the same. Ubuntu user’s will feel right at home.
Somethings things to take note of:
- Comes standard with Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird, OpenOffice.org 2.0, Netbeans and Java 1.5. Bare desktop essentials and Java development essentials.
- Uses X.org. Therefore, devices that are supported by X.org on Linux will probably work with X.org on Solaris. X.org provides better support for fancier cards than XSun.
- Includes standard Sun packages for network, filesystem and process management. This is something Solaris folk will be thankful for. It would have been nice to have Linux-like configuration tools tho.
- Does not use standard Sun Solaris pkgtools instead it uses the Debian and Ubuntu packaging tools (apt and synaptic).
OpenSolaris is just a kernel. Without a decent user space system, it will continue to be an incomplete. Operating systems need both userspace and kernel components to be complete. Fortunately, this alpha release of the Nexenta OpenSolaris distribution is sign of potentially good things to come. At this early stage, the developers made a very good decision to maximize the efforts of the Debian project. To take steps even a bit further, it uses the Ubuntu releases as a base to ensure that all the polishing that went into Ubuntu will also go into Nexenta. I can’t wait to try out Version 1 of the NexentaOS.
July 10th, 2006 at 4:47 am
JM has Solaris on vmware hahaha. He showed it to me last week. Hmmm. Your post reminded me that I ought to encourage him to blog about it
July 11th, 2006 at 12:41 am
Yes. we might even be able to build a little community here. I have a VMWare instance of Solaris 10, Belenix and now Nexenta. I believe JM should try Nexenta. it feels like Ubuntu.
July 21st, 2006 at 9:06 am
I did a bit more looking around. I am just wondering if production Solaris 11 will use a similar userland as Nexenta. OR will it use the current Solaris userland and Java Desktop System? It would be interesting to see Sun embrase an essentially Ubuntu/Debian userland.
July 22nd, 2006 at 9:20 am
With my business hat on I think you should not loose site of the customer. Sun JD should be developed for the business community.Nexenta should plough its own furrow on the home/retail/education market. Nexenta needs to be concentrating on compatability,usablility, supportability,migration tools and multimedia (especially a solid gaming platform).A wine input and a continuing evolving gragh interphase is a good strategy (brown is not a marketable colour). Convergence with Ubuntu would fail to differenciate this interesting project from its peir group and not fully leverage its major asset the solaris system attributes.
Could anyone comment on compatibility with Mac applications?
July 22nd, 2006 at 10:38 am
But wouldn’t you say that Ubuntu is the shortest path to acceptability? Using a mature userland allows Nexenta developers to jump start the process. If they really want to build a unique identity they can always fork the code base.
July 24th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Most pundits consider solaris 10 has a very bright future if its key strenghts are identfied and built upon. The key strenghts of Nexents are its solaris base, build and recognise this product on these strengths. Borrowing conponents is not new but confusing the consumer with subbranding on a week brand position is not recommended. To forcast the future..the Linux market will gain recognition in the future on the home/retail/educational markets.At this point in the market shake out will occur leaving fewer distributions possibly commercially sold to provide support and development revenue streams to develope the product to the expextation of the market.
The text statement above identifies perhaps the only market opportunity for Nenenta to find success.there is a danger in the development cycle a too technical lead view will kill this project dead always consider the drivers for development.
July 24th, 2006 at 2:42 pm
So would you say that the current Solaris-base is its strength? The current Java Desktop System is pretty good looking. However, it does not come with the OpenSolaris codebase. This leaves OpenSolaris with plain ole GNOME.
July 26th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
In my opinion Solaris is a key differentiator of your product. It has a good track record, Sun has given its undertaking for a development road map. More importantly for this project is to align it’s offering to Solaris leveraging brand recognition, development and support.
I read claims that Boot camp works on Solaris 10, is this true? If so will it work on Nexenta? There are also unsubstantiated claims that the Wine project works on Solaris 10?
July 26th, 2006 at 11:26 pm
A yes Solaris is a very good brand in itself. However, its market share is currently limited to the really highend of the spectrum. This is a very high revenue market but the numbers are not very big. By using Nexenta and improving Solaris appreciation, it is possible for it to make its way to the lower-end of the market too. This way Solaris can get a broader fan base than it currently has. I do not claim to know market dynamics very much but Solaris is typically discussed only for really really high end systems. This is especailly true since the Sun Purple Boxes are known for their reliability.
If the Wine project works on Solaris 10 that should be another step towards helping it gain a wider audience. In the end, good luck to Solaris and Nexenta!