ask | dr. root

Well, like so many things, nothing and everything.

Sun has provided the source code for Solaris to users who asked nicely for quite a while now. Previously, all that was needed was a good excuse and Sun would show and tell. However, since Solaris 10, Sun have essentially OpenSource'd the lot - well to the extent of those components that are their IP. And that essentially, at one level, that is the difference. There are elements of standard 'off the shelf' Solaris that Sun do not own, therefore they cannot give them away. This is an ever decreasing amount but still exists.

So if you go to http://www.opensolaris.org/os/ and download the source, compile the kernel and utilities, you essentially have the core of Solaris. But here is the other difference, a) you will NOT have Solaris and b) you (and the community) are on your own. Only the binary distributed from Sun can be called Solaris and only it is supported and indemnified by Sun.

In the world of technology there are a lot of clever people out there so,'Innovation happens' but not all of them work for Sun ! So the adage becomes 'Innovation happens, elsewhere. So how do you maximise the opportunity to innovate - OpenSource !!! By making Solaris OpenSource, Sun have thrown open their 25 years of development and said to the world, 'here is what we've done and we think its clever. If you think you can do better or have a neat idea go for it. All we ask is that you let us know what you did and if it is appropriate we will incorporate it into the next version of Solaris !"