SUNW: Canonical and Sun Expand Joint Ubuntu/Sun Presence in the Enterprise and Open Source Communities

Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW), the creator and leading advocate of Java technology, and Canonical Ltd., the commercial sponsor of the rapidly-growing Ubuntu GNU/Linux distribution, today announced that the open-source Java Enterprise Edition 5 application server (specifically, the GlassFish Community reference implementation) will be made available on the widely popular Ubuntu operating system.


The first Java application server to be distributed by Ubuntu, the Java EE 5 compatible GlassFish application server, will enable developers to create cutting-edge enterprise Java applications more rapidly than before.

"The combination of GlassFish and Ubuntu gives developers access to the leading open-source frameworks that will be key to developing next-generation Web 2.0 applications," said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu.

Expanded Certification

Canonical furthered its push into the enterprise by announcing imminent certification and support for Ubuntu on Sun's x64 (x86, 64-bit) hardware, powered by AMD Opteron processors. Canonical had earlier announced certification of Ubuntu on Sun's UltraSPARC(R) processor-based Sun Fire T1000 and T2000 servers featuring CoolThreads technology. The expansion announced today includes support for the Sun Fire X4100 and X4200 servers, as well as the Sun Ultra 20 and 40 Workstations. This means that enterprises will now be able to run Ubuntu on Sun's x64 systems with the confidence of five-year software support provided by Canonical.

"Sun is teaming up with the vibrant Ubuntu community, which shares Sun's commitment to open source," said Karen Tegan Padir, vice president, Enterprise Java Platforms at Sun. "With the distribution of the GlassFish Java EE 5 application server on all Ubuntu releases, we are making it easier for developers to gain access to the latest version of the enterprise Java platform. And with certification and support of the Sun Fire x64 products, Ubuntu is an attractive option for enterprises."

The GlassFish Community is developing a Java EE 5 certified application server, which contains core modules upon which many other enterprise Java implementations will be based. By providing this solution in open source under an OSI-approved license, deployers of infrastructure solutions have the flexibility they want to view the source code and tune implementations to their needs. Open source reinvigorates the Java platform by enabling new opportunities for developers to participate in its creation and evolution.

About Canonical and Ubuntu

Canonical, a global organisation headquartered in Europe, is committed to the development, distribution, and promotion of open source software products, and to providing tools and support to the open source community. Canonical is the sponsor company for Ubuntu, which since its launch in October 2004 has become one of the most highly regarded Linux distributions, with millions distributed and in use around the world. Ubuntu will always be free, and will not have restrictive licenses associated with it. With these goals in mind at all times, Ubuntu aims at being the most widely used of all Linux systems, and is the centre of a global open source software ecosystem.

Download Ubuntu from www.ubuntu.com/download To learn about commercial support for Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Edubuntu, on the Net: www.canonical.com/support For more information on the Net: www.canonical.com or www.ubuntu.com