Caldera OpenLinux: Difference between revisions

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== Background ==

By 1994, under CEO [[Ray Noorda]]'s purview, [[Novell Corsair]] was a project run by Novell's advanced technology group that sought to put together a [[desktop metaphor]] with [[Internet connectivity]] and toward that end conducted research on how to better and more easily integrate and manage network access for users. At the time, the Internet was dominated by Unix-based operating systems, but the Novell group saw the Unixes of the day as being too hardware intensive, too large, and charging too much in license fees. They became convinced that [[Linux]] offered the best possible answer for the operating system component, and started building code towards that purpose, including contributing work on [[IPX]] networking for [[NetWare]] and [[Wine (software)|Wine]] compatibility layer for Windows. However, Noorda departed from Novell and under new management, the Linux role in Corsair was dropped.<ref name="LJ_1995">{{cite news |url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/1094 |title=Caldera and Corsair – Who is Caldera, and what is Corsair, really? |date=June 1995 |magazine=Linux Journal |access-date=2008-09-24}}</ref>

[[Caldera, Inc.]] was founded in 1994 by [[Bryan Wayne Sparks]] and Ransom H. Love and received start-up funding from Noorda's Utah-focused [[Canopy Group]], and Caldera became one of the first commercial companies putting out a [[Linux distribution]].<ref name="eweek-ransom-2003">{{cite news |url=https://www.eweek.com/servers/ransom-love-co-founder-of-caldera-and-sco-speaks-of-unix-gpl-and-the-lawsuit |title=Ransom Love, Co-founder of Caldera and SCO, Speaks of Unix, GPL and the Lawsuit |author-first=Steven J. |author-last=Vaughan-Nichols |magazine=[[eWeek]] |date=September 25, 2003}}</ref> That first distribution was [[Caldera Network Desktop]], which was based on [[Red Hat Commercial Linux]].<ref name="Petreley_1996_Caldera">{{cite news |title=Down to the Wire - Hot Caldera rates a look as an Internet service, maybe even for desktops |author-first=Nicholas |author-last=Petreley |magazine=InfoWorld |date=1996-02-19 |page=108 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xT4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA108 |access-date=2017-06-25}}</ref><ref name="Hughes_1996_CND"/> It seemed primarily aimed at the office desktop and custom solutions markets.<ref name="Hughes_1996_CND">{{cite news |title=Caldera Network Desktop 1.0 |author-first=Phil |author-last=Hughes |date=June 1996 |issue=26 |magazine=Linux Journal |url=https://nnc3.com/mags/LJ_1994-2014/LJ/026/0117.html |access-date=2018-08-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180805090434/https://nnc3.com/mags/LJ_1994-2014/LJ/026/0117.html |archive-date=2018-08-05}}</ref>

One of the features of Caldera Network Desktop was an installation component called LISA (Linux Installation and System Administration),<ref name="Hughes_1996_CND"/> which had been developed with the Germany-based [[Linux Support Team]] (LST).<ref name="LST_1997">{{cite news |title=LST Software GmbH Merges With Caldera Inc. – Critically acclaimed European Linux developers strengthen Caldera's commitment |agency=[[PR Newswire]] |date=1997-05-23 |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/LST+Software+GmbH+Merges+With+Caldera+Inc.-a019440952 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913050017/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/LST+Software+GmbH+Merges+With+Caldera+Inc.-a019440952 |archive-date=2012-09-13 |access-date=2018-08-06}}</ref> In terms of Linux distributions, that group was responsible for [[LST Power Linux]], a [[Slackware]]-derived distribution that had been maintained by LST since its first incarnation in 1993.<ref name="LST_2003">{{cite web |title=Historie |language=de |date=2018 |orig-year=2001 |publisher=LST - Verein zur Förderung freier Software e.V. |url=http://www.lst.de/de/main.php?id=02 |access-date=2018-08-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804152549/http://www.lst.de/de/main.php?id=02 |archive-date=2018-08-04}}</ref> Caldera Network Desktop ended sales in March 1997.<ref name="LG_1997"/>

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At another point in time, Caldera OpenLinux was also available on a retail basis, in the form of a CD-ROM for installing Linux on a PC that sold for {{currency|amount=49|code=USD|fmt=gaps|linked=no}}.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/08/technology/mac-windows-and-now-linux.html |title=Mac, Windows And Now, Linux |author-first=Katie |author-last=Hafner |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 8, 1998 |page=G1}}</ref>

OpenLinux typically came with a separate CD-ROM called the Solutions CD, which is what delivered the commercial softwaressoftware. These included such powerful enterprise products as the [[Adabas D]] database management system from [[Software AG]].<ref name="moody"/> Use of these components required activation of a license key.<ref name="CW_DE_1997"/> A review in ''[[Computerwoche]]'' assessed the initial Caldera OpenLinux release as providing an easy-to-use distribution at an attractive price-to-performance point for those exploring Linux.<ref name="CW_DE_1997"/>

=== Caldera Systems era ===

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[[OpenLinux 2.2]], released in April 1999, was seen as significantly improved from the previous year's [[OpenLinux 1.3|1.3]] release, especially in terms of it having a fully graphical and easy-to-use installation feature.<ref name="itpro">{{cite news |url=https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-8/red-hat-caldera-release-new-versions-linux |title=Red Hat, Caldera release new versions of Linux |author-first=Paul |author-last=Thurrott |publisher=ITPro Today |date=April 25, 1999}} (See also: [https://www.linux.co.cr/distributions/review/1999/0514.html])</ref>

Ease of installation was an important criteria in selecting a Linux distribution,<ref name="cnbc-ipo">{{cite news |url=http://plotkin.com/cnbcs113/ |title=Caldera Systems IPO Soars in Debut |author-first=Hal |author-last=Plotkin |publisher=CNBC |date=March 21, 2000}}</ref> and Caldera Deutschland had created this first fully graphical installer for Linux, called Lizard, starting in November 1998.<ref name="Lizard">{{cite web |url=http://rant.gulbrandsen.priv.no/linux/openlinux-lizard |title=The Openlinux Lizard |website=rant.gulbrandsen.priv.no |access-date=September 21, 2017}}</ref> Several years later it was still receiving praise from reviewers.<ref name="lw-vms">{{cite news |url=http://linux.sys-con.com/node/32708 |title=Volution shows promise |author-first=Joshua |author-last=Drake |work=LinuxWorld |date=January 14, 2002 |access-date=2019-11-17 |archive-date=2016-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405195658/http://linux.sys-con.com/node/32708 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The installer could even be started from a [[Microsoft Windows]] partition.<ref name="itpro"/>

The improvements provided by the Lizard installer led to the technology publication ''[[Linux Journal]]'' giving Caldera OpenLinux 2.3 its top award, Product of the Year.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/3730 | title=1999 Editors' Choice Awards | first=Jason | last=Kroll | magazine=Linux Journal | date=December 1999}}</ref>

=== Caldera International era ===

During 2000, Caldera Systems began the process of acquiring the Unix businesses of the [[Santa Cruz Operation]]. In March 2001 announced that it would be changing its name to Caldera International.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/news/11336/caldera-systems-previews-new-company-caldera-international-at/ |title=Caldera Systems Previews New Company – Caldera International – At CeBIT with Industry Support |publisher=Caldera Systems, Inc. |date=March 26, 2001 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

|date=March 26, 2001}}</ref>

Caldera OpenLinux 3.1 came out in June 2001.<ref name="LT_2001_L"/> Among the new softwares incorporated were Caldera's own Volution Manager and Volution Messaging Server, which were layers of functionality on top of Linux aimed at adding value to the operating system product.<ref name="PCMag_2001"/> The workstation edition of Caldera OpenLinux came with a requirement for [[per-seat license|per-seat licensing]].<ref name="LT_2001_L"/> <!-- "Aimed at developers, OpenLinux Workstation includes Borland JBuilder 4 Foundation as well as Sun Microsystems' Forte 2.0 and J2SE 1.3. " --> An extensive review of Caldera OpenLinux 3.1 in

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== Markets, alliances, and sales ==

{{expand-sect|with=actual sales figures|date=August 2024}}

Caldera OpenLinux offered specific packages for e-commerce and secure-server configurations.<ref name="PCMag_2001"/> It was also aimed at the business connectivity ___domain.<ref name="moody"/> As ''[[PC Magazine]]'' wrote at the time, "Unusual for the Linux world, Caldera makes a strong cost-of-ownership argument in the corporate environment." It also said: "Unparalleled support and a wide range of products, including e-commerce solutions, make Caldera OpenLinux Server 3.1 a very attractive choice. Caldera's clear distinction between client and server distributions underlines the company's endeavor to appeal to the business community."<ref name="PCMag_2001">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=onqTTm-f8cAC&pg=PA124&dq=%22openlinux+3.1%22+2001&hlpg=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQ2PPU-pSIAxW4M1kFHQ8CPaQQ6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&q=%22openlinux%203.1%22%202001&f=falsePA124 | title=Choosing Linux | firstfirst1=Bill | lastlast1=Ulrich | first2=Oliver | last2=Kaven | magazine=PC Magazine | date=2001-11-13 | pages=120–128 }} Caldera portion also available [https://www.pcmag.com/archive/caldera-openlinux-server-31-16536 at this url].</ref>

In its era, Caldera OpenLinux was one of the four major commercial Linux distributions, the others being [[Red Hat Linux]], [[Turbolinux]], and [[SuSE Linux]].<ref name="moody"/> In particular, these were the four that got the backing of hardware vendors such as [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]] and [[IBM]], although Red Hat was clearly the primary recipient of such hardware support announcements.<ref name="moody"/> And overall Red Hat had the broadest base of acceptance within the computer industry, with SuSE strong in Europe.<ref name="PCMag_2001"/>

By 2002, in the wake of the [[dot com bust]], the Linux side of Caldera International was losing money badly; it was spending four times as much as it received in revenue.<ref name="Wired">{{cite news |url=https://www.wired.com/2004/07/linux-7/ |title=The Linux Killer |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=July 2004 |author-first=Brad |author-last=Stone}}</ref> The only Linux distribution company that was doing even somewhat well at the time was Red Hat.<ref name="cnet-darl">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/struggling-linux-company-swaps-ceos/ |title=Struggling Linux company swaps CEOs |author-first=Stephen |author-last=Shankland |publisher=[[CNET]] | date=June 27, 2002}}</ref> Caldera International was further disadvantaged in that the Unix side of its business contributed most of its revenue and represented the products its resellers had the largest incentive to sell.<ref name="lj-2002">{{cite news | url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6292 | title=A Rose by Any Other Name – Is It Still the Same? | author-first=Jeff | author-last=Gerhardt | work=[[Linux Journal]] | date=August 27, 2002}}</ref>

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* ''Caldera OpenLinux Lite/Base/Standard 1.1'' (September 1997) with Linux kernel 2.0.29<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/2435 | title=New Products | first=Amy | last=Kukuk | magazine=Linux Journal | date=September 1997}}</ref>

* ''Caldera OpenLinux Lite/Base/Standard 1.2'' (1998-04-17)

* ''Caldera Systems OpenLinux Lite/Base 1.3'' (1998-09-28) with Linux kernel 2.0.35<ref name="CalderaSystems_OL13">{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/caldera-systems-inc-releases-openlinux-13-with-kde-and-sybase-ase-156356425.html |title=CALDERA SYSTEMS INC. RELEASES OPENLINUX 1.3 WITH KDE AND SYBASE ASE |website=www.prnewswire.co.uk |access-date=2017-09-21}}</ref>

* ''Caldera Systems OpenLinux 1.4''? (there are some mentionings in the net, but in such a low number, that it is unclear, if this version was actually released ... and not sure if 2.0 and 2.1 existed at all)

* ''Caldera Systems OpenLinux 2.2'' (1999-04-19) with Linux kernel 2.2.xx

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* ''Caldera Systems OpenLinux eDesktop/eBuilder 2.4''

* ''Caldera Systems OpenLinux eBuilder 3.0''

* ''Caldera International OpenLinux Workstation/Server 3.1'' (June 2001)<ref name="LT_2001_L">{{cite news |url=https://www.linuxtoday.com/infrastructure/2001062500620PS |title=Change for Caldera OpenLinux Workstation 3.1 Will Require 'Per System' Licenses |work=Linux Today |date=June 25, 2001 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> with Linux kernel 2.4.2

* ''Caldera International OpenLinux Workstation/Server 3.1.1'' (January 2002) with Linux kernel 2.4.13<ref name="OSN_2002">{{cite news | url=https://www.osnews.com/story/588/caldera-releases-openlinux-311/ | title=Caldera Releases OpenLinux 3.1.1 | first=Eugenia | last=Loli | publisher=OSNews | date=2002-01-31}}</ref>

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* {{cite book | title=Caldera OpenLinux Unleashed | first=David | last=Stoll | publisher=Sams Publishing | ___location= | year=2000 | isbn=0-672-31761-3 }}

* {{cite book | title=Caldera OpenLinux Bible | first=Chris | last=Negus | publisher=Wiley | ___location= | year=2000 | isbn=0-7645-4706-2 }}

* {{cite book | title=Caldera OpenLinux For Dummies | firstfirst1=Jon "maddog" | lastlast1=Hall | first2=Nicholas | last2=Wells | publisher=Wiley | ___location= | year=2000 | isbn=0-7645-0679-X }}

==External links==

* [http://linux.ittoolbox.com/pub/MM022702i.pdf "TThe hDifferences ebetween DCaldera iLinux fand fRed eHat r e n c e s b e t w e e n C a l d e r a L i n u x a n d R e d H a t L i n u xLinux: A n O p i n i o n P i eAn cOpinion ePiece"] &ndash; Caldera white paper, March 2021 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713070303/http://linux.ittoolbox.com/pub/MM022702i.pdfcomparing |date=2011-07-13 }}

* [http://www.lst.de/ LST association site (in German)]

* [https://www.abortretry.fail/p/the-history-of-caldera-part-1 The History of Caldera, Part 1] and [https://www.abortretry.fail/p/the-history-of-caldera-part-2 The History of Caldera, Part 2], Bradford Morgan White's industry histories on Substack

{{Linux-distro}}