Sun to inject key parts of Linux into Solaris

Sun is to put important parts of the Linux operating system into its Solaris OS in a bid to gain more support from Linux developers.

Solaris is one of the main varieties of the Unix family of operating systems, known for their ability to safely and securely handle major computing tasks rather than for ease of use.

Sun is known for its business computers that can handle major corporate loads and it has courted programmers who cooperatively develop Linux and other so-called open source software for a long time, with mixed success.

The revamped Solaris system will have features borrowed from Linux that could make it easier to use, according to details posted on Sun's website.

"This is a big deal to the extent that it lowers the barrier for adoption of Solaris," said IDC software analyst Al Gillen.

The new system will keep the Solaris kernel, which is a basic group of code at the heart of the operating system that controls the way other programs interact with each other as well as the computer's hardware.

"Solaris is hard to set up. It doesn't have good hardware support," said Ladislav Bodnar, founder of Distrowatch.com, a website that reviews open source software. "The hope is that things may change."

Sun executives declined to comment in advance of a formal unveiling next week of the plans, called Project Indiana.

Sun competes in high-end computers and operating systems with IBM and Hewlett Packard, as well as old rival .

Linux also has spawned a market for companies like Red Hat and Novell, which sell support and services to back free, open-source software.

"Everything that the Linux developer likes to have at their fingertips, I think they would like to have for Solaris," said George Weiss, an analyst with Gartner who follows open-source software.

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