Guild Companies

Commercial Linux distributors SuSE and The SCO Group have announced updated versions of their respective Linuxes. Both of their new Linuxes are based on the based on the UnitedLinux 1.0 consolidated Linux version being put together by rivals SuSE, Turbolinux, SCO, and Conectiva to combat the commercial Linux market leader, Red Hat. The delivery of the first commercial Linuxes by SuSE and SCO will put to the test the idea that rivals can work together and still differentiate enough to remain in business.

The UnitedLinux 1.0 distribution supports the Linux Standards Base (LSB) 1.2 and OpenI18N specifications put forth by the Free Standards Group, one of the emerging standards bodies for the Linux community trying to rein in Linux developers and keep them from repeating the mistakes that the open systems Unix vendors made in the 1980s and 1990s. UnitedLinux 1.0 supports 32-bit Pentium and 64-bit Itanium processors from Intel; 32- and 64-bit PowerPC and Power4 processors from IBM; 32-bit Athlon X86-compatible processors from AMD; and 31- and 64-bit S/390-type processors used in IBM's zSeries line. UnitedLinux 1.0 also supports the future 64-bit "ClawHammer" workstation and "SledgeHammer" server processors from AMD, which are expected to be on the market next year.

Enhancements available to Linux through the UnitedLinux 1.0 distribution include enhancements to SMP scalability and to multithreading support--both of which are important to commercial server applications. The Linux scheduler (akin to a workload manager in OS/400 or Unix) has been tweaked so that it is not a bottleneck for performance. The distribution also includes tools to build and manage server farms, and support for asynchronous I/O and hot-plug PCI peripheral cards. The software also includes better event logging and dynamic system probes to help system administrators isolate and fix problems in running servers. The Linux implementation also includes a journaling file system (which scales better and is more reliable for transaction processing environments than a regular file system), as well as continuing support for the Linux community's Reiser File System and the XFS and ext3 file systems. UnitedLinux 1.0 supports up to 64 GB of main memory in a single system and supports IBM's Memory Expansion Technology (MXT) memory compression algorithm, which has been implemented in a number of Intel-based server chipsets.

SCO, which was formerly known as Caldera International and which includes the old SCO Unix-on-Intel business and Caldera's Linux business, wants to be a market leader in Linux shipments as it has been in the Unix market for more than two decades. SCO's sales pitch with SCO Linux 4.0 is that it is adhering to standards like those adopted by the UnitedLinux consortium to make Linux a more attractive platform to deploy applications on while at the same time bringing its unique expertise in supporting Unix applications--particularly in turnkey environments where customers have no idea what operating system they are using, and don't care--to the Linux table. SCO says that it is committed to a 12 to 18 month release schedule, thus limiting the amount of churn customers have to cope with on their Linux machines. The company is providing 24x7 support in 82 countries (in local languages), and each license of SCO Linux 4.0 comes with two years of maintenance. SCO has some 16,000 resellers (mostly selling SCO UnixWare and OpenServer, but increasingly interested in Linux), and this is another key differentiator.

SCO Linux 4.0 comes in four different server editions. The base edition, which costs $599, comes with base maintenance services. The classic edition includes one year of installation and configuration tech support (phone, Web, or email), five-hour response on tech support issues with designated tech support contacts, and an online patch service manager, all for $699. SCO Linux 4.0 business edition costs $1,249 and includes unlimited tech support, three-hour response, and designated support contacts. The enterprise edition of the software has one-hour support during regular office hours, 24x7 after hours emergency support, and a dedicated administrative account manager on top of all that.

SuSE is perhaps the most dedicated supplier of Linux versions for IBM eServer hardware. The SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 implementation of UnitedLinux 1.0 has been certified on IBM's entire eServer product line--iSeries, pSeries, xSeries, and zSeries--and on Hewlett-Packard's 32-bit Intel-based ProLiant server line and its rp Series Itanium-based line. Fujitsu Siemens' Primergy Intel-based server line has also been certified. SuSE says it will have support for these platforms rolled out in December. On the X86 platform, SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 costs $749 at expected street prices. That price includes CDs, manuals, and one year of maintenance service. Customers with SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 7 can upgrade for $129 if they were already under a maintenance contract.

In other SuSE news, the company said last week that it has formed an alliance with electronics distributor Arrow Electronics. This alliance will see Arrow's SupportNet organization (which sells iSeries and other IBM server brands) and small- to mid-sized business organization (which pushes HP platforms) peddle SuSE's Linux on those machines. Arrow and SuSE will also be providing training, education, and support to Arrow's resellers, so they can go out and win deals installing Linux on this hardware. The two companies will also be engaged in telemarketing, e-mail, and Webinar campaigns in the coming months to push SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8.