Sun unveils SunOS/SVR4 Development and Test Platform for software developers

Sun unveils SunOS/SVR4 Development and Test Platform for software developers

Business Wire

October 18, 1990

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Sun Microsystems Thursday introduced the SunOS/SVR4 Development and Test Platform for software developers, the next phase in Sun's UNIX System V Release 4 (SVR4) migration program.

The objective of the migration program is to provide a complete end user environment for Sun systems based on SVR4, to be shipped in late 1991. SVR4, co-developed by AT&T and Sun, is the next-generation operating system standard for UNIX.

The SunOS/SVR4 Development and Test Platform is a suite of products that enables developers to create new SVR4-based applications and ensure compatibility with existing applications. Included is a range of system software, tools, documentation and support.

An important component of Sun's SVR4 migration program is working with software developers to create a superior end user environment for Sun's future SVR4 systems, including applications, services and support.

The first phase in the migration program was Sun's delivery in late 1989 of necessary migration information through publication of the SunOS to SVR4 Compatibility and Migration Guide. In January 1990, Sun introduced the bridge platform to SVR4, SunOS 4.1, the second phase in this program. SunOS 4.1 is source compatible with SVR4.

The SunOS/SVR4 Development and Test Platform is the third phase, to be followed by the final phase; the end user release of Sun's SVR4-based operating system, which should be shipped in late 1991.

Benefits of the SunOS/SVR4 Development and Test Platform to software developers are:

- Protection of existing software and market development investments through easy migration to SVR4 for SPARC microprocessor-based systems;

- The opportunity to leverage market growth spurred by the widespread adoption of SVR4, which unites more than 80 percent of the installed base of 10 million UNIX system users;

- The ability to synchronize the release of SVR4-based applications with Sun's end user release and to gain SVR4 market leadership with faster time-to-market.

The SunOS/SVR4 Development and Test Platform reflects Sun's tradition of offering the richest development environment for UNIX applications. The bundled software has three elements. The first is the development platform: SunOS 4.1 CD-ROM. This robust environment is used to create applications that will run on SunOS 4.1 today and SVR4 in the future.

Second is the SunOS/SVR4 Test Platform on CD-ROM, which includes SunOS/SVR4 plus additional tools to test and verify applications running under SVR4 in native mode. The added products are OpenWindows Version 2, ANSI C and FORTRAN compilers, Sun's XGL graphics libraries and SunNet License.

Third is the Binary Compatibility Package (BCP), a part of Sun's added value to SVR4, which enables the majority of SunOS 4.x applications to run without modification under Sun's SVR4-based operating system. The BCP is a transition tool that will allow end users to migrate to SVR4 while running their existing software, thereby providing a ready market for native SVR4 applications.

``Sun is 100 percent committed to giving developers the most comprehensive, easy-to-use tools to leverage market opportunities brought about by the transition to SVR4,'' commented Cheryl Vedoe, vice president of Sun Microsystems' General Systems Group Marketing.

``The key to developers' business success is time to market. This program will let insightful developers gain market leadership by having applications ready when Sun's SVR4-based systems begin shipping to end users next year.''

With SunOS/SVR4, Sun conforms with industry standards such as POSIX (1003.1) and X/Open (XPG3) and the SVR4 SPARC Application Binary Interface. Also, SunOS/SVR4 will be compliant with SPARC International's SPARC Compliance Definition (SCD) 2.0. This enables developers to create ``shrink-wrapped'' applications that will run on all SPARC/UNIX systems -- from laptops to supercomputers -- that comply with SCD 2.0, which will be finalized in early 1991. Over the next several months, SPARC International will announce plans to release SCD 2.0 and tools to support the migration effort.

``This announcement directly supports both SPARC International's overall program of migrating SPARC and non-SPARC developers to SVR4 and UNIX Interntional's developer program goals,'' said Bob Duncan, chief executive officer of SPARC International. ``Most importantly, the program gives developers an easy, quick way to move to the SVR4 and SCD 2.0 worlds now, so they can reap the benefits later.''

This announcement underscores Sun's commitments to UNIX SVR4. As the UNIX operating system standard for the `90s, SVR4 consolidates the leading versions of UNIX (Xenix, BSD, SunOS, System V), which represent more than 80 percent of the UNIX installed base. The SVR4 environment offers ease of use through the OPEN LOOK graphical user interface, as well as broad connectivity with Sun's ONC distributed computing enviroment, which currently comprises more than 1.2 million nodes. In addition, the SVR4 platform incorporates TCP/IP, the DARPA suite, RPC/XDR and more.

The price for the SunOS/SVR4 Development and Test Platform including products, documentation and support, is $5,900. Shipment is scheduled for December 1990. Sun system configurations that will run the SunOS/SVR4 Development and Test Platform are the SPARCstation 1, 1+ and IPC.

Sun Microsystems Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, is a leading worldwide supplier of network-based distributed computing systems, including professional workstations, servers and UNIX operating systems and productivity software. NOTE TO EDITORS: SunOS, OpenWindows, XGL and ONC are trademarks of Sun Microsystems inc. SPARC is a registered trademark of SPARC International Inc. SPARCstation and SPARCware are trademarks of SPARC International Inc., licensed exclusively to Sun Microsystems Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems Inc. UNIX and OPEN LOOK are registered trademarks of UNIX System Laboratories Inc.

CONTACT: Sun Microsystems Inc., Mountain View Marty Coleman, 415/336-6543 Hi-Tech Public Relations, San Francisco Claudia Carasso, 415/864-5600