--
When we have enough free software
At our call, hackers, at our call,
We'll throw out those dirty licenses
Ever more, hackers, ever more.
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Sys Admin Magazine -- News and Reviews -- 07/15/2004
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In this Web-exclusive review, Emmett Dulaney recommends UnixWare 7.1.4,
which is a full implementation of Unix for the PC desktop.
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Evaluating UnixWare 7.1.4
Review by Emmett Dulaney
Just when it looks like the struggle for the PC desktop is only going to
be between Windows and Linux, another version of UnixWare comes out and
joins the fray. Not only is it an alternative to the other choices, but
it is one that is definitely worth considering for bringing power,
value, stability, and reliability to your business, as the press
releases state.
In this review, I wont bore you with the history of UnixWare, Bell Labs,
Novell, and all of that. Nor will I venture into the controversy with SCO
and the Linux community. The UnixWare operating system deserves to be
evaluated on its own merits for what it is and not be confused with any
ambient factors. This product is much too solid and promising an operating
system to focus on anything other than it and it alone.
The Operating System
The UnixWare operating system is a full implementation of Unix for the
PC desktop. It is true Unix in every sense of the word and has all the
features and functions that have been standard in that operating system
for the past decade. It is important to understand that this is not an
emulator, or slimmed-down version of another product, but as sincere a
port of Unix to the PC platform as has ever been concocted.
With the release of 7.1.4, there are six pre-configured editions of this
product. Across all editions and as a general guideline - the minimum
requirements are as follows:
* One Pentium, AMD, or compatible processor (up to 32 CPUs are supported)
* 64MB RAM (up to 64GB of memory are supported)
* 2GB free disk space
* 1028 x 768 VGA monitor
I struggled to find weaknesses within the OS, but UnixWare supports hot
plugging of devices and all the other features you would expect in an
operating system today. Besides the core OS, a vast number of services
can be added to the system to enable it to be used for anything from a
simple desktop to a full-fledged data center server.
Refreshingly, the new 7.1.4 version offers backward compatibility for
older UnixWare applications. This includes binary support for legacy
applications going as far back as UnixWare 2.1. Additionally, there are
now Web Service APIs, and changes have been made to all six of the editions
to beef up even the lower offerings (such as the new Small Business Edition,
which will run only on a single CPU).
Other new features include, but are not limited to:
* IPSEC (for firewall and tunneling)
* OpenSSL and OpenSSH support. The former offers SSL and TLS protocols
(think cryptography) and the latter is used for traffic encryption
* USB 2.0 support for printers
* ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) Hyper threading
* Updated Adaptec, and HBA drivers
For developers, there is support for Java2 (through the 1.4.2 SDK) and
libraries and development tools to support SOAP/XML calls. The UnixWare
and OpenServer Development Kit (UDK) contains compilers and debugging
tools for creating applications.
Additionally, CUPS (Common UNIX Printing Subsystem) is now supported as
the world seems to be moving away from the lpd dependency that has been
around since UNIX System V, if not before. One of the features this
inherently offers is more printer options and the ability to do Web-based
configuration.
Above all else, the goal of UnixWare seems to be to offer exactly what you
would expect on the RISC platform in terms of performance, reliability,
security, etc. for the PC-based platform. It succeeds extremely well at
this and offers an economical advantage over going the RISC-route that
can be sized appropriately for any organization, as the next section details.
The Six Editions for This Version
To read the entire article, go to:
http://click.sysadmin.email-publisher.com/maacr9taa8rBbbntNpvbaeQxWg/
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