sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sunflash@suntri sunflash-Send requests and problem reports to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SOLARIS 2.2 SunFLASH Vol 52 #31 April 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMCC Announces Solaris 2.2 ----------------------------- SMCC(TM) today announced the availability of the newest version of the Solaris(R) operating environment for SPARC(R) systems. A fully-compliant implementation of SVR4, Solaris 2.2 is comprised of SunOS(TM) 5.2, ONC+(TM), and OpenWindows(TM) V3.2 which includes DeskSet(TM) productivity applications. Solaris 2.2 delivers: - Significant performance improvements for database and fileserver applications - User accessible threads libraries to allow increased parallelism and higher performance for multiprocessor applications. - Increased SMP scalability with support for eight processor SPARCcenter 2000 systems - DeskSet enhancements for improved ease-of-use - New graphics and imaging support with runtime libraries - Support for the new SPARCstation(TM) 10 and SPARCserver(TM) 10 systems announced today. - WABI and SearchIt(TM) at no-charge with Solaris 2.2. - Simplified upgrades without major re-installations. Solaris 2.2. will be available at the end of May, 1993 and will become the default release for all Sun SuperSPARC-based multiprocessing systems. International and localized versions of Solaris 2.2 will be available in July. SMCC will announce international pricing and configurations later this quarter. SunSoft has introduced a new flexible licensing structure that offers advantages for desktop users: - All desktop clients use the same desktop license that is bundled with SPARCstation systems. There is no longer a need for desktop users to purchase license upgrades when adding processors. - The existing single-user limitation for desktop users has been reversed. Desktop licenses again permit two users. Server licenses differ depending on the number of processors in a system. ANNOUNCEMENT OVERVIEW: Solaris 2.2 contains a number of performance and functionality improvements over previous releases of Solaris. With this release, SunSoft concentrated on delivering improved quality, higher server performance and enhanced ease-of-use for SPARC system users. SunSoft is also enhancing the Solaris/SPARC desktop solution by making the Windows ABI (WABI) and SearchIt products available at no charge for Solaris 2.2 users. Below is a brief description of the new features of Solaris 2.2. IMROVED SERVER PERFORMANCE AND USER-THREADS LIBRARIES: _______________________________________________________________ Solaris 2.2 delivers significantly improved server performance for database and fileserver applications. Database transaction performance has improved 95% over Solaris 2.1 and fileserver performance shows a 40% improvement. Audited TPC numbers and NFS benchmarks will be released later this quarter. For the first time, Solaris brings the benefits of multithreading and symmetric multiprocessing within reach of customer applications. While Solaris 2.x has always had multithreading capability at the kernel level, the new user threads libraries available with Solaris 2.2 allow developers to write multithreaded applications. Multithreading allows increased levels of parallelism within applications. Using these libraries allows users and developers to take maximum advantage of the power available with Solaris 2.x on symmetric multiprocessor-based SPARCstations and SPARCservers. Solaris 2.2 also delivers much better scalability by providing support for up to eight processors in a SPARCsystem. As mentioned last fall at the SPARCcenter(TM) 2000 announcement, each successive release of Solaris will provide improved scalability. DESKSET ENHANCEMENTS: __________________________ DeskSet productivity tools are a major competitive advantage for Sun. Solaris 2.2 incorporates new DeskSet applications and enhancements to existing applications to provide improved ease-of-use: IMAGE TOOL: Image Tool is a new DeskSet application bundled with Solaris 2.2. Image Tool allows an end user to view and edit images. The user can view an image in a window, rotate the image, zoom on part of the image, preview pages, and crop the image for use in a document. Image Tool also supports multiple file formats such as postscript or TIFF. FILE MANAGER: File Manager has been enhanced in 2.2 to allow end users to easily access removable media such as CDs or floppies. The end user views CDs or floppies as subdirectories in their home environment. They can then manage files residing on CDs or floppy diskettes through the same drag and drop operations that are common to file manager (Gone are the days when a user must become superuser to mount and manipulate CD's or floppies!) In addition, File Manager allows folders to be viewed vertically (a tree) or horizontally, and file icons can be placed anywhere in a folder pane for a user's convenience. MULTIMEDIA MAIL: Multimedia mail has been enhanced by providing tighter integration with calendar manager. A mini-appointment editor can be accessed from within mailtool to create appointments. The resulting icon is put in the attachment panel allowing recipients of the mail message to drag and drop the appointment icon to update their calendar. Multimedia mail also can receive MIME messages, which is the Internet standard for multimedia mail. Calendar manager itself has been enhanced to allow levels of privacy and more flexibility for repeating appointments. KEYBOARD ACCELERATORS: To provide a faster alternative than a mouse to perform common commands (e.g. open a file), keyboard accelerators have been provided in DeskSet and in the general workspace. WABI AND SearchIt PROMOTIONS: _____________________________ SunSoft is offering a special promotion which makes the new Windows ABI (WABI) and SearchIt products available at no charge for Solaris 2.2 users. Order cards for WABI and SearchIt will ship in all Solaris 2.2 media kits. Anyone licensed for Solaris 2.2 is licensed to use WABI. WABI will ship in July. SUPPORT FOR THE NEW SPARCsystem MULTIPROCESSING PLATFORMS __________________________________________________________ Solaris 2.2 supports all of the new multiprocessing platforms announced today including: SPARCstation 10 Model 402MP Model 512MP Model 40 Model 51 Model 30LC SPARCserver 10 Model 402MP Model 512MP Model 51 Model 40 GRAPHICS AND IMAGING ENHANCMENTS: _________________________________ Solaris 2.2 brings significant improvements in graphics and imaging support with improved performance and functionality. Runtime libraries for PEX(TM) and XIL(TM) are bundled with Solaris 2.2. With these libraries now included as part of the Solaris base environment developers no longer need to bundle them with their applications. This is a competitive advantage over other UNIX(R) offerings such as UNIXware(TM) and HP-UX(TM). XIL: XIL is a new imaging library for commercial imaging and video applications. SunSoft is the first operating system vendor to bundle a runtime imaging library in its operating environment. This will encourage development of new multimedia applications on Solaris/SPARC systems. XGL(TM) 3.0.1: Solaris 2.2 also includes XGL 3.0.1 which provides a significant performance improvement for 3D graphics over the previous XGL 3.0 bundled with Solaris 2.1. DIRECT XLIB(TM) 2.0: Direct Xlib 2.0 is also bundled in Solaris 2.2. Direct Xlib is a set of supplemental Xlib libraries for OpenWindows that provides improved 2D graphics performance to Xlib applications that are running locally using the OpenWindows X11/NeWS server. PEX: PEX 2.0 Run Time Environment is also provided in Solaris 2.2. PEX provides a standard extension to X11 for 3D graphics such as PHIGs and SunPHIGs, and therefore enhances portability for graphics applications. SIMPLIFIED INSTALLATION AND UPGRADABILITY: __________________________________________ Installation of Solaris 2.2 has been enhanced in several ways: EASY UPGRADES: Upgrading between versions of Solaris 2.x has been simplified. Solaris 2.1 customers can upgrade to Solaris 2.2 without going through a complete re-installation. NEW INSTALLATION INTERFACE: The online installation script for Solaris 2.2 has been redesigned for easier installation while providing a high degree of control over each installation. JUMPSTART(TM) SERVER SUPPORT: Automatic installation (JumpStart) now supports installation of SPARCserver systems. SOLARIS 2.2 Q & A _________________ Q. WHEN WILL SOLARIS 2.2. SHIP AND WITH WHAT SYSTEMS:? A. Solaris 2.2. will ship at the end of May, 1993. All SPARC system products will include an appropriate license to use Solaris 2.2. Q. WHAT ARE THE KEY FEATURES OF SOLARIS 2.2? A. The key benefits of Solaris 2.2 include: - Improved server performance - Improved quality - Enhanced graphics support and runtime libraries - DeskSet Enhancements - Enhanced upgrading and installation Q. HOW DO I ORDER SOLARIS 2.2 AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? A. For new SPARC systems, the appropriate Solaris 2.2 licenses are included with SPARC system purchases. Media kits can be ordered when ordering systems. A separate SunFlash will address licensing, pricing, ordering and licensing instructions. At the end of May, Solaris 2.2 will become the default Solaris 2.x release from SMCC and will automatically ship with Solaris 2.x media kits and upgrades. Users still needing access to Solaris 2.1 can still order Solaris 2.1 with product specific order numbers. International localized versions of Solaris will be announced later this quarter and will ship in July, 1993. Q. IS MOTIF PART OF SOLARIS 2.2? A. No. As part of the COSE announcement last month, SunSoft will be announcing the availability of an unbundled Motif toolkit later this quarter. (c) 1993 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant Logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. SPARCengine and SPARCstation are licensed exclusively to Sun Microsystems, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based upon an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. All other product or service names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, ftp.uu.net, sunsite.unc.edu, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. Send brief articles (e.g. third party announcements) and include contact information (non-800#, fax #, email, etc) to: John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@Sun.COM. +1 305 351 4909