Sun gives desktop Linux another push

Sun Microsystems plans to make its Java Desktop System (JDS) available for any Linux distribution through the new JDS Partner Programme, Sun executive vice president for software John Loiacono said at a town hall meeting in Sun's San Francisco office.

The firm's Java Desktop System is a collection of applications including a browser, the Star Office suite and the Java Virtual Machine.

Sun currently makes the application available bundled with a derivative of the SuSE Desktop Linux operating system at a fee of $100 per desktop per year or $50 per employee per year. It also comes bundled free of charge with Solaris 10.

The move will make the application available on any Linux distribution including Red Hat, Red Flag, Gentoo, Yellow Dog and Linspire, Loiacono said.

It also enables PC makers to start selling Linux systems that come bundled with the JDS suite and use the Java and JDS logos.

"We were starting to get some traction," Loiacono told vnunet.com. "The additional access it going to make it even more attractive."

The move is called for because there currently is no standard desktop Linux distribution, he said. This has lead many countries to create local distributions of the open source operating system.

While the abundance of distributions is good for customer choice, it makes it hard for Sun to pick a single version to support.

The OEM programme is available immediately, Sun said. The system vendor plans to launch a webpage with additional information later this week. The company did not release pricing information.

Sun also said that by 2006 it will start to incorporate features of the Looking Glass 3D desktop presentation technology into JDS. The Java application was developed by Sun and had been made available under an open source licence.