Date: 26-Nov-2009
URL: www.sun.com/software/solaris/9/x86/faq.xml
Solaris 9 x86 Operating System
General FAQ
General Questions
Q:
How can I get a free Solaris software binary license?
A:
You can use the Solaris Operating System at home or at work without paying a license fee. For only the cost of media plus shipping, you can use the software on
an unlimited number of computers with a capacity of 1 CPU. Downloads are also available.
Q:
Where can I get more information about applications and
solutions for the Solaris x86 Operating System?
A:
To find out what applications are included in the
Solaris Operating System media kit see the
package description site. For a list of
commercial applications see the
Sun Partner
Products Catalog.
For more information on ready-to-run binaries
for open source applications see the contents of the Solaris Software Companion CD.
Q:
How can I get technical support for the Solaris x86 Operating System?
A:
Check out the Solaris x86 Operating System support forum.
Q:
Where can I find a list of technical and general FAQ regarding the Solaris x86 Operating System?
A:
Check out Dan Anderson's FAQ page for the Solaris x86 Operating System.
Q:
Does Solaris run on third-party
x86-based hardware?
A:
Yes. Sun and its
partners are currently growing the base of supported third party hardware
giving customers greater choice of deployment platforms.
The Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) is located at the http:// www.sun.com/bigadmin/hcl/.
To help certify systems Sun has made available a Hardware Certification Test Suite (HCTS) which enables partners and customers to self-certify their hardware platforms. The HCTS is available today at the Sun Download Center. Customers can buy software only support for Solaris on third party x86-based systems that are listed in the Sun Certified and HCTS certified sections of the hardware compatibility list.
To help certify systems Sun has made available a Hardware Certification Test Suite (HCTS) which enables partners and customers to self-certify their hardware platforms. The HCTS is available today at the Sun Download Center. Customers can buy software only support for Solaris on third party x86-based systems that are listed in the Sun Certified and HCTS certified sections of the hardware compatibility list.
Q:
What new tools and resources are available for device driver developers?
A:
Sun has enhanced the tools and resources needed by developers writing device drivers for the Solaris Operating System (SPARC or x86). Developers are encouraged to visit the driver developer Web site, which contains extensive documentation and tools. Recent updates include new sample source code, a kernel source level debugger, and a Solaris software interface compliance tool.
This Web site is part of a larger hardware certification program, which includes both systems and driver certification for IHVs and OEMs. Certification enables third-party products to be listed in the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), which customers use as a buyer's guide for selecting peripherals.
This Web site is part of a larger hardware certification program, which includes both systems and driver certification for IHVs and OEMs. Certification enables third-party products to be listed in the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), which customers use as a buyer's guide for selecting peripherals.
Q:
Where is Sun investing in Solaris and Linux compatibility
A:
Sun drives compatibility and interoperability in several ways:
- With Java technologies, Sun offers a seamless platform for deploying applications and services across all tiers and multiple platforms, thereby making the applications entirely compatible regardless of the OS on which they are running.
- A new feature in Solaris 10, the Solaris Native Linux Service, will enable customers to run Linux x86 applications on Solaris x86 unchanged without recompiling. The Native Linux Service makes Solaris LSB compliant when operated with an LSB-compliant Linux distribution such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.
- For open source applications Sun has long been providing pre-compiled versions for Solaris. Many of these applications, like Apache, Samba, sendmail, Perl and many others, are supported by Sun.
- Sun also provides developer tools like LinCAT (Linux Compatibility Assurance Toolkit) for ensuring applications are developed in a compatible way to enable a single product can run on either Solaris or Linux.
Q:
Does Sun Services support open source software on Solaris?
A:
Yes, for those open source products that are integrated into Solaris - examples include BIND, Sendmail, Apache and Samba. In addition, the Solaris Companion CD includes many popular open source packages e.g. GNU tools, squid, GIMP - this category of open source software is not currently supported by Sun Services.
Q:
What are the details of the alliance between Sun and AMD?
A:
Sun and AMD have formed an alliance to deliver a broad range of Opteron-based systems from Sun. As part of the alliance, Sun and AMD will collaborate to optimize the performance of the Solaris OS, the Java(TM) platform and developer tools for Opteron based systems. The Solaris OS on the 64-bit Opteron platform will be available late this year through Solaris 10.
Q:
How will Opteron systems and Solaris fit into my existing infrastructure?
A:
Opteron platforms with Solaris will offer exciting new capabilities in many areas of infrastructure - customers can build out their web services and grid computing environments today with a 32-bit OS knowing that they will have the option of developing and deploying 64-bit applications in the future.
Q:
Can I run my existing Solaris x86 and Java applications on Opteron systems?
A:
Yes - the existing 32 bit implementation of Solaris x86 delivers a high-performance environment to deploy existing applications.
Q:
What benefits will software developers see from Sun's investment in AMD Opteron architecture?
A:
Having an optimized 64-bit implementation of Solaris for the AMD Opteron architecture opens up the possibility to build new applications exploiting the linear 64-bit address space - something which has previously not been feasible on 32 bit x86 systems. In addition, the 64 bit kernel will provide seamless operation of existing x86 32-bit binaries.
Q:
Will Sun support Solaris on 3rd party Opteron-based systems?
A:
Yes, Sun already supports Solaris on available 32-bit AMD Opteron-based systems from certified third party vendors. Visit the Solaris x86 HCL at sun.com/bigadmin/hcl to view currently supported systems.
Q:
Will SPARC applications run on Solaris for Opteron?
A:
Solaris applications, whether they are SPARC or x86, are source compatible, therefore SPARC applications can be recompiled quickly to run on Solaris x86 for Opteron systems. Sun is working with a large number of ISVs to ensure broad application support for Solaris on Opteron.
Q:
What version of Solaris supports the Opteron platform?
A:
Support for the Opteron processor is available in Solaris in 32-bit mode today. With Solaris 10, 64-bit support will become available.
Links Mentioned on This Page
This page is located at: http://sun.com/software/solaris/9/x86/faq.xml
Additional links mentioned are:
There are no additional links on this page.
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