Ubuntu Linux to Support Sparc Based Sun Niagara Servers

Sun Microsystems is getting support for its Sparc-based Niagara servers from Canonical, the Linux distributor of Ubuntu, the companies said on Tuesday.

The free Debian-based Ubuntu distribution of Linux, launched in 2004 by South African dot-com billionaire Mark Shuttleworth, has already attracted millions of individual desktop users. But with the “Dapper Drake” release of Ubuntu set to ship next month, Ubuntu will make its first foray into the enterprise data center. That release will now support Sun’s “Niagara” T1000 and T2000 servers in addition to Intel and Advanced Micro Devices’ x86 servers and IBM’s Power-based servers.

Sun’s “Niagara” Sparc-based servers, first launched last year, up until now supported only Sun’s Solaris Unix operating system. Leading Linux distributor Red Hat would not comment on whether it plans to support Sun’s Sparc servers.

via CIO