Linux Format had a live dvd version of it, it looks absolutely wonderful. I am not really a gnome fan, but the way sun configured it, made me like this distro very much.

The installed version is even better. Really good.

Had a problem with CD#2, and Sun didn't have any more copies. So I downloaded CD#2 from the evaluation page. That also had the same problem in the same spot.

Tried on two totally different machines. This was a great pity, but the distro seemed to work except for a couple of apps.

Certainly 10 out of 10 for a Gnome that didn't feel or look like Gnome!

Because "Java" is a stronger brand than "Sun Microsystem" or "Solaris."

Sun Microsystem is trying to take advantage of this strong brand, nothing more.

You will also hear that there are serveral version of JDS.

"Solaris x86" JDS
"Solaris SPARC" JDS
"Linux" JDS

The reality is, "Solaris version" of JDS is just Solaris + GNOME GUI (instead of CDE).

Yes, the product team is trying throw as many Java application on top of the Linux distribution to justify the name. Smart move or not, you tell me.

How did you get a copy?

I must admit to a little bit of cheating.

I called the local office of Sun Microsystems here in Adelaide a number of times since about June of last year when I got the Live CD from an English magazine, and I think my persistence wore them down.

You see, before I retired, I used to evaluate software for Australia's premier CAD magazine, but that's another story. Most IT folk in Adelaide know of me by name (maybe the guys at Sun also), and actually I think they gave me the last evaluation copy they hand out to corporate clients.

They also told me there was no support with it, and pointed me to the Sun website, where a thread in this forum also shows you how to download all the CDs should you want them, free of any payment to Sun.

As the product is now superseeded, I'm sure it was all quite legal. This was the version based on SuSE 8 and Gnome (and I love SuSE, since ver 8 up to 9.1 which I run as an optional OS on two machines).

You can download the CDs for free (apart from ISP costs of course), from http://sdlcweb1d.sun.com/ECom/EComAc...MLoadBalanced= (check the forum link at http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=270147 )


1-3 are installation, and there are 8 or 9 altogether including source and other stuff.

Ok thanks a lot, I am downloading the isos now

Problem with Live Versions is that they are really slow, becuase of it running off dvd/cd and shit, I got Knoppix Live and it's painful.

You are right. I only use Live CD's for rescuing systems, demonstrating Linux to others or just to try out new distros.

Yeah, but I always prefer the proper install than wasting another cd on a live version (I havent got too many cd's left) I wonder if JDS would run nicely alongside other linux distros?

Question: How did you get all those linux distros running alongside BSD?

Very easy... GAG

I've had a box running OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Solaris 9, Slackware 10, SuSE 9.2, Debian Sarge, and VectorLinux 4.3 all a the same time using GAG to boot them all

Very Very nice, can I install that now with just debian on the comp?

I run Slack on my main hard drive /dev/hda coz its my main distro. On dev/hdb, I got 2 primary Linux partitions with FC3, another with FreeBSD and the other Linux distros are on logical partitions of an extended partition. I then use GRUB to boot all of them including FreeBSD. Very soon I'll be moving Slack to its own box, so I will have more room to tinker around with more distros.

np

Of course it depends rather upon the speed of the CD-ROM drive and how much RAM you use. Knoppix is highly compressed and needs to be uncompressed "on the fly". I think it is really worth having for the graphic tools it provides which you can use to get yourself out of trouble.

Another excellent (text-based) get-out-of-jail-free live distro is the Linux System Rescue CD

I have downloaded Knoppix since ver 3.3 which I tried out to recover the data on a partition on an HP Vectra machine that was unbootable. Fortunately the machine had a burner, so I laboriously burned the contents of that partition to several CDs. Yes, you can put it in one CD drive and still use the other!

I later discovered that you can install Knoppix to an HDD using a short script I found using with google. Knoppix 3.3 loads faster than most other Live distros I have tried, and when installed it really zips along.

3.4 onwards appear to come without the necessary files for installation on the CD, though I didn't research it fully.

3.4 and 3.6 were general public releases which I downloaded and burned, each uses a more recent kernel and version of KDE.

3.5 was a special burned to DVD with other goodies, which I don't have. It was produced specially for the German expo "Linux-Tag"

I believe 3.7 is now out.

The documentation that comes with the boxed set (which has exactly the same CDs as the download url I posted up the thread a bit) and/or the installer spiel while you are running it says that it will handle other already installed OSs through its Grub bootloader.

That may or may not be true in your case. There is an old saying "Your mileage may vary"

In any case backups are a must when trying other OSs imho - I tend to use one machine with plug-in IDE HDDs to avoid potential damage. Even running Live CD distros can cause disasters to installed OSs from what I've heard. Haven't had it happen to me so far, but there is always a first time, lol.

That is very nice, and I must try it out.

I've had no success with:
    System Commander which is commercial
    Xosl which is open source

Both caused lost or inaccessible partitions here. Could have been the learning curve I was on at the time.

Looking forward to trying GAG and maybe someone else will post their thoughts on it!

GAG is shit, it only mounts linux partitions if you got lilo, it screwed up my mbr, and Ive had to reinstall everything im not running debian at the moment im running FC3, and becuase of the amount of stress my hard drive is in, i don't think im gonna install any more os's untill I get a new one in probably 6 months,