Sun's Solaris™ Operating Environment Runs Linux Applications

PALO ALTO, CA - May 12, 1999 - Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced compatibility between the Solaris™ operating environment and Linux applications. Sun contributed software to an open source development effort that allows users to run Linux applications on the Solaris 7 operating environment expanding the number of available applications. In addition, Sun will provide free development tools that make it easy for developers to ensure source code compatibility between Linux and the Solaris operating environment.

"Linux and other open source products have brought renewed vitality to the industry," said Rob Gingell, chief technology officer, Solaris Software, Sun Microsystems, Inc. "Increased sharing of technology within the Solaris and Linux communities will accelerate the adoption of open computing and further fuel innovation in the software development community, creating benefits for both customers and developers."

Sun collaborated with the open development community to provide software enhancements to a popular Linux compatibility program, known as lxrun. With lxrun for the Solaris Intel Platform Edition, commercially or internally developed Linux applications run unmodified along with Solaris applications.

"Sun's cooperation has significantly furthered the lxrun open-development effort," said Steve Ginzburg, lxrun source code maintainer. "Sun's technical contributions have already proven invaluable, and their continued involvement will increase the visibility and accessibility of lxrun. I am excited about continuing this mutually beneficial relationship."

Sun's new software tools help Linux developers simplify and streamline the process of developing applications across both the Linux and Solaris platforms. The offerings for the SPARC™ and Intel platforms include how-to guides and tools that analyze source code compatibility to enable applications to run smoothly on Linux and Solaris software.

Sun plans to showcase Linux development efforts at this month's LinuxExpo (May 18-22) including a demonstration of Linux applications running unmodified on the Solaris operating environment and Linux running on the UltraSPARC™ architecture.

Recent Linux-Related Activities

Sun has made the following Linux-related news announcements in the last six months:

• Licensing Java Media technologies to the Linux Blackdown Porting Team, an informal group of Linux developers, enabling the Linux community to create platform-independent, network-centric applications for educational, business and technical users with the easy-to-use Java Media APIs. (March 2, 1999)
• Offering board-level solutions to a select number of system integrators to assist them in building powerful, low-cost Linux solutions running on the SPARC™ technology-based platform. (February 23, 1999)
• Teaming with the Linux community to complete a port of Linux to the UltraSPARC architecture. (December 8, 1998)
• Porting the Java Development Kit [JDK™] 1.2 to Linux to enable Java technology-based applications to run on the Linux operating system. (November 2, 1998)

Pricing and Availability

Lxrun software for Solaris on Intel is available for free for immediate download over the Web. Downloading information, a reference document for installing and running Linux (Intel) applications on the Solaris operating environment, and more information about lxrun software is available at http://sun.com/linux/lxrun.

Software development tools for the Solaris SPARC Platform Edition that assist in source code compatibility between the Linux and Solaris platforms are planned for free download in June 1999; tools for the Solaris Intel Platform Edition is expected to be available later this year. Information about the development tools is available at http://sun.com/linux.

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The Computer™," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc., (NASDAQ "SUNW"), to its position as a leading provider of hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $11 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.

Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Solaris, Java, JDK, HotJava, Ultra and "The Network Is The Computer" are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All SPARC trademarks are used under license and are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based upon an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc.