I want to like OpenSolaris. I love compiling away on my Sun Machines at the house. The simple fact is though the “Open” is a misnomer of great proportions. What makes me excited about OpenSolaris is the lineage it stems from. For UNIX admins everywhere, it is truly one of the last of the old guard. HP-UX, Tru64, and the host of other dead UNIX OS showcase how much impact the BSD and Linux world has had on mainstream POSIX.
I am not sure how many times I have had to correct the Unix-like versus UNIX debate.Where this all leads to is the recent OpenSolaris elections. I am not sure if this is the Ian Murdock influences, but a board is formed to govern the code and direction of the project. Within the OpenSolaris community there is a great deal of expertise and knowledge coming in from outside sources. Yet, Sun in all its infinite wisdom has killed any hope it had.
The board is now made up entirely of Sun employees. I am sure these employees are great experts in their respective fields. This is in no way a jab at the excellent work Sun has done over the past 20 years. Rather this is a plea to the company, let the community work! I have run out of headstone space in the back yard to bury yet another UNIX.
