IBM has announced it will roll out its first line of high-end
Linux-only pSeries servers that will not be bundled with the
company's AIX 5L Unix-based operating system.
Existing corporate users who wanted to use Linux on the pSeries
must partition the system into multiple virtual servers, all of
which are still managed under by AIX. IBM offers native Linux on
the pSeries only as an option on lower-end models.
"We believe they will be the only Unix-dedicated servers in the
industry that can run both a proprietary OS like AIX and Linux
simultaneously in virtual partitions. But if you buy a pSeries you
won't necessarily have to get AIX," an IBM spokeswoman said.
The servers will also contain a number of features and capabilities
from the company's Project eLiza, an IBM initiative to create
self-managing, self-healing servers, including the ability to
respond to unexpected capacity demands automatically.
Linux on the desktop will get a boost later this month when IBM
delivers a beefed-up version of its Linux distribution, codenamed
Limbo.
Red Hat Linux 8.0 will have a jazzier graphical interface based on
Gnome 2.0 and features sportier scroll bars and menus. The latest
version will also contain improved versions of the Mozilla browser,
the open source version of the Office suite and the latest version
of the Evolution mail client.