From the
“
it’s not Linux, but it’s got the same apps”
files:
Sun has rolled opensolaris 2008.11, loaded with open source applications that are well known to Linux distribution users. The ‘What’s New‘ page for opensolaris 2008.11, lists the new features which include GNOME 2.24, Firefox 3, Songbird and OpenOffice.org 3.
On the apps that are more opensolaris specific the Image Packaging System, IPS gets an update but to my naked eye it looks surprisingly like GNOME’s Synaptic package manager. Fast boot times (something that Linux distros are working on too) is also a key new feature for the opensolaris release.
Where opensolaris 2008.11 may well differ most is with its Project COMSTAR (Common Multiprotocol SCSI Target) implementation for an open storage system.
The first phase of Project COMSTAR has
been included in OpenSolaris 2008.11, allowing you to turn any OpenSolaris host into a SCSI storage device
or target, accessible by any initiator hosts. Only Fibre Channel is supported at this time, however the iSCSI
port provider will be provided in the developer repository soon.
So, sure there are alot of open source applications in opensolaris 2008.11 that are common to other open source operating systems, but Sun has also made sure that it has several differentiators as well.