Sun Releases Solaris 10 for Free

Sun Microsystems has fulfilled its pledge to make its newest version of the Solaris operating system available for free. On Monday evening, the server and software company began offering Solaris 10 as a free download for those who register. Anyone may use Solaris for commercial or noncommercial use, and Sun will supply security fixes as they're released, but those wanting bug fixes and support must sign a support contract with Sun. Solaris 10 is a crucial part of the company's attempt to fend off Linux and Windows and to maintain leadership against its two main Unix rivals, IBM's AIX and Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX. Elements of the attempt include major technological upgrades, the no-charge licensing, and an effort to build an open-source community that helps Sun develop the software. Sun believes making the software free and open-source will draw new customers, developers and business partners to the Solaris ecosystem. The OpenSolaris project will provide full source code in the second quarter.

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