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Sun Releases Solaris Express Update with Installation Enhancements and D-Light UI for DTrace

Posted by Scott Delap on Sep 24, 2007 03:59 PM

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Today Sun announced Solaris Express Developer Edition (SXDE) 9/07. Solaris Express is based on the Open Solaris project and seeks to lower the barrier for developers wishing to developer under Solaris and use tools such as DTrace and ZFS. The initial versions of SXDE focused on assembling a complete development environment, wireless support, and DTrace support of the AMP stack. Among the features of the new release:
  • Sun Studio 12 C, C++ and Fortran compilers and NEW D-Light, a GUI DTrace tool
  • Java Platform, Standard Edition 6
  • Glade 3 replaces Glade 2 for development of user interfaces for the GTK+ toolkit and GNOME desktop environment
  • PostgreSQL 8.2.4 With DTrace probes, and integrated with the Solaris Service Manager, Kerberos 5 support.
  • GNOME 2.18 UPDATED
  • Firefox 2.0 Browser
  • Thunderbird 2.0 UPDATED
  • Evolution 2.8.1.1
  • StarOffice 8 with product update 6 office productivity suite

InfoQ spoke with Dan Roberts, Sun director of marketing for Solaris, about the release. Roberts explained that SXDE operates under the release early release often strategy and as a result has quarterly releases. The 9/07 release greatly simplifies the installation process by including the first major Solaris installer rewrite in 12 years. Installation can be performed in as little as 3 clicks for an upgrade and 6 clicks for a full install. Another major feature of SXDE 9/07 is the inclusion of the D-Light GUI for DTrace. Tutorials and screencasts of D-Light were made available earlier this year.  Finally, SXDE 9/07 also introduces new support options. CD images can downloaded or a DVD shipped for free from Sun. The previously available annual email support can still be purchased for $249 a year. With 9/07 new options of installation and configuration phone support are available in business hours and 24/7 varieties respectively starting at $720 and $1080 annually.

Closing the interview InfoQ asked Roberts about support for the Ruby and Rails which are rapidly gaining in popularity. He noted that support in the current version includes Netbeans 5.5 and 6.0 plugins as well as Glassfish deployment support of JRuby. Sun is also looking at providing further DTrace support in JRuby, Glassfish, and native Ruby in upcoming releases.

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