Sun had Solaris 10 available for download for free not too long ago. I grabbed it, but I'm not sure if I want to do anything with it, now. I'm a Mandrake newbie, and am really surprised at how well everything is working with it so far.

Are there any advantages to using a Unix-based Solaris over a Linux-based Mandrake? Performance? Reliability? Software? It looks like they are pretty darned similar to me!

Solaris 10?? Are you sure? The latest version they have available was 9 at this time.

Solaris is an actual Unix operating system, not a clone of it like Linux is. It has alot of proprietary software included and source code.

There isn't much difference except really, except filesystem layouts, tools and apps available for each and so on. Most who can use Linux can work easily with Solaris and vice versa.

I just went to the Sun web page to double check, and only found Solaris 9. I could have sworn that I grabbed 10 for x86, so I popped in the 1st CD.

In the Copyright file, the first few lines are as follows:

Proprietary Rights Notice
Solaris(TM) 10 Operating System Installation, x86 Binary
CD-ROM (Rock Ridge FS format)
Long Form Legal Notice
=====================================================

edit--
Disk 2 also has a Solaris 10 folder. I'm pretty sure this is 10... It don't believe it was a beta version when I grabbed it, but maybe it was...

After running a google search for

"solaris 10" x86

you'll get a bunch of hits about the free solaris 10 download. It looks like Sun isn't offering it now, though.

Unless somehow you did manage to get a beta version.. Solaris 10 isn't out yet.

Looking over the Sun site, it appears that they refer to it as Software Express.. maybe shorten it with Solaris 10 but its still mainly Solaris 9...

I'm confused as I never remember them releasing something like this but maybe its just the free version now, cause Solaris 9 cost 20 bucks for download on x86 platforms.

Thought this might help, came across a new article that compares Linux to Solaris: http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=4867

That's definitely an informative article. Thanks. 3 CD's are going into a CD holder that also has Win95, OS/2, and others that will never be used, but I can't seem to throw away!