OpenSolaris for System z: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Discontinued OpenSolaris OS port to IBM System z}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}

{{Infobox OS

| name = OpenSolaris for System z

| website = [http://distribution.sinenomine.net/opensolaris/ OpenSolaris for System z]

| developer = Sine Nomine Associates

| family = [[OpenSolaris]]

| released = {{release_dateStart date and age|df=yes|2008|10|07}}

| supported_platforms = [[IBM System z]]

| working_state = Prototypedefunct

| website = [http://distribution.sinenomine.net/opensolaris/ OpenSolaris for System z]

}}

{{History of IBM mainframe operating systems|unix}}

'''OpenSolaris for System z''' is thea discontinued<ref name="dead">Gavin Clarke, 29 March 2010, [https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/29/oracle_solaris_z_ibm_mainframe/ Sun's IBM-mainframe flower wilts under Oracle's hard gaze], ''The Register''</ref> distributionport of the [[OpenSolaris]] computer [[operating system]] designed to run on the [[IBM System z]] line of [[mainframe computers]].

== History ==

OpenSolaris is based on [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]], which was originally released by [[Sun Microsystems]] in 1991. Sun released the bulk of the Solaris system source code in OpenSolaris on 14 June 2005, which made it possible for developers to create other OpenSolaris distributions. [[Sine Nomine Associates]] began a project to bring OpenSolaris to the IBM mainframe in July, 2006.<ref>[http://www.sinenomine.net/node/411 IBM Expresses Interest in OpenSolaris for System Z Project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513153008/http://sinenomine.net/node/411 |date=13 May 2008 }}</ref> The project was named ''Sirius'' (in analogy to the Polaris project to port OpenSolaris to PowerPC). In April, 2007, Sine Nomine presented an initial progress report at IBM's System z Technical Expo conference.

At the [[Gartner]] Data Center Conference in [[Las Vegas, Nevada]] in late 2007, Sine Nomine demonstrated OpenSolaris running on IBM System z under [[z/VM]]. It was there that David Boyes of Sine Nomine stated that OpenSolaris for System z would be available "soon."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma0XPN2z6Qc Open Solaris on System Z demo part III], YouTube Video</ref>

[[Sine Nomine Associates]] began a project to bring OpenSolaris to the IBM mainframe in July, 2006.<ref>[http://www.sinenomine.net/node/411 IBM Expresses Interest in OpenSolaris for System Z Project]</ref> Less than a year later, in April, 2007, Sine Nomine presented an initial progress report at IBM's System z Technical Expo conference.

At the [[GartnerSHARE (computing)|SHARE]] Dataconference Centeron Conference13 inAugust [[Las Vegas2008, Nevada]]Neale inFerguson late 2007,of Sine Nomine demonstratedAssociates OpenSolarispresented runningan update on IBMthe Systemprogress zof underOpenSolaris for System [[z/VM]]. ItThis waspresentation thereincluded thata Davidworking Boyesdemonstration of SineOpenSolaris Nominefor System z. During this presentation he stated that while OpenSolaris is "not ready for Systemprime-time" zthey wouldhoped beto have a version available to the public for testing "soonin a matter of weeks rather than months."<ref name="Share2008">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{Cite journal |first =Ma0XPN2z6Qc&feature Neale |last =related OpenFerguson Solaris|title = OpenSolaris on System Zz demo|year part= III]2008 |___location = San Jose, YouTubeCA Video}}</ref>

In October, 2008, Sine Nomine Associates released the first "prototype" (it lacks a number of features such as [[DTrace]], and [[Solaris Containers]] and the ability to act as an [[Network File System (protocol)|NFS]] server) of OpenSolaris for System z to the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mainframe.typepad.com/blog/2008/10/opensolaris-for.html |first=Timothy |last=Sipples |title=OpenSolaris for System z Now Available |date=2008-10-16 |accessdateaccess-date=2008-10-16}}</ref> OpenSolaris for System z has a project page at OpenSolaris.org.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/systemz/ |title=OpenSolaris Project: Systemz |accessdateaccess-date=2008-10-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229132722/http://hub.opensolaris.org/bin/view/Project+systemz/WebHome |archive-date=29 February 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> OpenSolaris for System z is freely available for download at no charge, and is governed by the same [[open source]] license]] terms as OpenSolaris for other platforms. All source code is available; there are no OCO (object code only) modules.

At the [[SHARE]] conference on [[August 13]], [[2008]], Neale Ferguson of Sine Nomine Associates presented an update on the progress of OpenSolaris for System z. This presentation included a working demonstration of OpenSolaris for System z. During this presentation he stated that while OpenSolaris is "not ready for prime-time" they do hope to have a version available to the public for testing "in a matter of weeks rather than months."<ref name="Share2008">{{Citation |first = Neale |last = Ferguson |title = OpenSolaris on System z |year = 2008 |place = SHARE Summer 2008, San Jose, CA }}</ref>

The port uses [[z/Architecture]] 64-bit addressing and therefore requires an [[IBM System z]] [[mainframe computers|mainframe]]. Because the port usesdepends certainon advancedrecently defined z/Architecture processor instructions, it requires a [[System z9]] mainframe (or higherlater mainframe model) and will not run on older machines,. atIt leastalso will not asrun currentlyon the release version of [[Hercules emulator|Hercules]] mainframe emulator, the needed changes are included in the SVN version 5470 of compiledHercules. It also requires the [[paravirtualization]] features provided by [[z/VM]]; it will not run on "bare metal" or in a logical partition ([[LPAR]]) without the z/VM hypervisor at Version 5.3 level or later. Also, because OpenSolaris uses a new network DIAGNOSE instruction, PTF VM64466 or VM64471 must be applied to z/VM to provide support for that instruction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://distributionwww.sinenomine.net/opensolaris/ |title=OpenSolaris for System z |accessdateaccess-date=2008-10-16 |archive-date=14 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114112451/http://www.sinenomine.net/opensolaris |url-status=dead }}</ref> On [[November 18]], [[November 2008]], [[IBM]] authorized the use of [[Integrated Facility for Linux|IFL]] processors to run OpenSolaris for System z workloads.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/5/897/ENUS108-875/ENUS108-875.PDF |title=Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) authorization is expanded to include the OpenSolaris operating system |date=2008-11-18 |accessdateaccess-date=2008-11-19 }}</ref>

In October, 2008, Sine Nomine Associates released the first "prototype" (it lacks a number of features such as DTrace and Solaris Containers) of OpenSolaris for System z to the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mainframe.typepad.com/blog/2008/10/opensolaris-for.html |first=Timothy |last=Sipples |title=OpenSolaris for System z Now Available |date=2008-10-16 |accessdate=2008-10-16}}</ref> OpenSolaris for System z has a project page at OpenSolaris.org.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/systemz/ |title=OpenSolaris Project: Systemz |accessdate=2008-10-17}}</ref> OpenSolaris for System z is freely available for download at no charge and is governed by the same [[open source]] license terms as OpenSolaris for other platforms. All source code is available; there are no OCO (object code only) modules.

[[The Register]] reported in March 2010 an email from an insider saying that:<ref name="dead"/>

The port uses [[z/Architecture]] 64-bit addressing and therefore requires an [[IBM System z]] [[mainframe computers|mainframe]]. Because the port uses certain advanced processor instructions, it requires a [[System z9]] mainframe (or higher model) and will not run on older machines, at least not as currently compiled. It also requires the [[paravirtualization]] features provided by [[z/VM]]; it will not run on "bare metal" or in a logical partition ([[LPAR]]) without the z/VM hypervisor at Version 5.3 level or later.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://distribution.sinenomine.net/opensolaris/ |title=OpenSolaris for System z |accessdate=2008-10-16}}</ref> On [[November 18]], [[2008]], [[IBM]] authorized the use of [[Integrated Facility for Linux|IFL]] processors to run OpenSolaris for System z workloads.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/5/897/ENUS108-875/ENUS108-875.PDF |title=Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) authorization is expanded to include the OpenSolaris operating system |date=2008-11-18 |accessdate=2008-11-19 }}</ref>

{{quote|The SystemZ port of Solaris is dead. Oracle pulled all plugs and refused to further help the authors to help. Critical parts are closed parts of libc.so.1, the core user land library which has closed source parts. Oracle now refuses to give precompiled binaries of newer versions of the closed parts to the SystemZ port community, effectively ending this port because the missing bits cannot be replicated or bypassed.}}

== See also ==

* [[Linux on SystemIBM zZ]]

* [[UTS (Mainframe UNIX)]]

== References ==

{{reflistReflist|2}}

== External links ==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120229132722/http://wwwhub.opensolaris.org/osbin/projectview/Project+systemz/WebHome OpenSolaris Project: System z] (source code and project home)

* [http://www.sinenomine.net Sine Nomine Associates]

* [http://distribution.sinenomine.net/opensolaris/ OpenSolaris for System z Distribution] (binary code download site)

{{Solaris}}

[[Category:OpenSolaris]]

[[Category:IBM Mainframe computermainframe operating systems]]

[[Category:VM (operating system)]]

{{Unix-stub}}