Ubuntu Linux takes on enterprise server market with new OS

With its release today of its Ubuntu 8.04 Long Term Support (LTS) Server Edition, Linux vendor Ubuntu is firmly aiming its long-awaited, enterprise-ready server operating system at the world of business computing.

Technically, this isn't Ubuntu's first server release -- that one came two and a half years ago -- but this is the first one that is truly enterprise-ready, with a full specification sheet of features needed in complex business IT shops, including support for virtualization, enhanced performance, and certification on an assortment of hardware from Sun Microsystems.

And despite his excitement about the possibilities now that the operating system is done, Ubuntu Linux founder Mark Shuttleworth said he knows there's a lot of competition in the enterprise marketplace.

"We're modest about where we stand," Shuttleworth said. "We know we're a new entrant in that game and that we have a long way to go still."

[ See related story on the new  Ubuntu Installer from RIA vendor Curl. ]

In addition to releasing the new server edition of the operating system, Ubuntu also today released Version 8.04 desktop Linux. Both versions are now available for free download at Ubuntu's Web site. Both are LTS releases and will be supported by Ubuntu's commercial sponsor, Canonical, for five years, much longer than Ubuntu's standard 18-month support cycle, he said.

"The LTS [does] appeal to those who are making larger-scale deployments," such as businesses, that want to replace their systems again for a long time, he said. "I think this is our most significant release ever."

The enterprise version is certified for use on a host of Sun x86 servers, Shuttleworth said, though it will not be offered as a preinstalled operating system by Sun. Other vendors have provided hardware for certification compatibility and other testing, which is pending.

"We're truly not yet seen by the hardware community as a preload candidate," Shuttleworth said, but the company is working with hardware vendors to try to encourage such partnerships.

Two key features in the new server release are built-in support for two virtualization platforms, the free software KVM platform and VMware's platform, as well as a "significant uptake in [independent software vendor] certifications" for enterprise applications that will run on the new operating system.