Java Desktop System
Encyclopedia
OpenSolaris Desktop, formerly Java Desktop System (JDS), is a desktop environment
now developed by Oracle Corporation
(after its acquisition of Sun Microsystems
) available for Solaris, and formerly Linux
.
OSD aims to provide a system familiar to the average computer user with a full suite of office productivity software such as an office suite
, a web browser
, email
, calendaring, and instant messaging.
Despite being formerly known as the Java Desktop System, it is not actually written in Java
; it is built from GNOME
and other common free software projects. The name reflected Sun's promotion of the product as an outlet for corporate users to deploy software written for the Java platform.
JDS version 2 included:
JDS Release 2 was available for Solaris and for the SuSE-based Linux distribution.
JDS Release 3 was released in 2005. It was included with Solaris 10 — upon installation of Solaris, one has the choice of using either the CDE
or JDS. It was based on GNOME 2.6 and available only for the Solaris 10 platform.
OpenSolaris Desktop 01 (released October 28, 2005) was based on GNOME 2.10 and OpenSolaris Desktop 02 (released December 23, 2005) is based on GNOME 2.12.
OpenSolaris Desktop is now tied to the OpenSolaris operating system, and does not have its own release schedule. The latest version was released with the release of OpenSolaris 2009.6, and was based on Gnome 2.24. It also included Firefox 3.1, OpenOffice 3 and Sun VirtualBox.
Desktop environment
In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface derived from the desktop metaphor that is seen on most modern personal computers. These GUIs help the user in easily accessing, configuring, and modifying many important and frequently accessed...
now developed by Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
(after its acquisition of Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
) available for Solaris, and formerly Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
.
OSD aims to provide a system familiar to the average computer user with a full suite of office productivity software such as an office suite
Office suite
In computing, an office suite, sometimes called an office software suite or productivity suite is a collection of programs intended to be used by knowledge workers...
, a web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
, calendaring, and instant messaging.
Despite being formerly known as the Java Desktop System, it is not actually written in Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
; it is built from GNOME
GNOME
GNOME is a desktop environment and graphical user interface that runs on top of a computer operating system. It is composed entirely of free and open source software...
and other common free software projects. The name reflected Sun's promotion of the product as an outlet for corporate users to deploy software written for the Java platform.
Versions
Sun first bundled a preview release of GNOME 1.4 on a separate CD for Solaris 8.JDS version 2 included:
- Java
- GNOMEGNOMEGNOME is a desktop environment and graphical user interface that runs on top of a computer operating system. It is composed entirely of free and open source software...
(using the Blueprint theme) - StarOfficeStarOfficeStarOffice, known briefly as Oracle Open Office before its discontinuation in 2010, is a proprietary office suite. It was originally developed by StarDivision which was acquired by Sun Microsystems in 1999...
- MozillaMozillaMozilla is a term used in a number of ways in relation to the Mozilla.org project and the Mozilla Foundation, their defunct commercial predecessor Netscape Communications Corporation, and their related application software....
- EvolutionNovell EvolutionEvolution or Novell Evolution is the official personal information manager and workgroup information management tool for GNOME. It combines e-mail, calendar, address book, and task list management functions. It has been an official part of GNOME since version 2.8 in September 2004...
- MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
and CD player - Java Media FrameworkJava Media FrameworkThe Java Media Framework is a Java library that enables audio, video and other time-based media to be added to Java applications and applets...
's Java Media Player - Gaim multi-service instant messaging
- RealPlayerRealPlayerRealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
JDS Release 2 was available for Solaris and for the SuSE-based Linux distribution.
JDS Release 3 was released in 2005. It was included with Solaris 10 — upon installation of Solaris, one has the choice of using either the CDE
Common Desktop Environment
The Common Desktop Environment is a desktop environment for Unix and OpenVMS, based on the Motif widget toolkit.- Corporate history :...
or JDS. It was based on GNOME 2.6 and available only for the Solaris 10 platform.
OpenSolaris Desktop 01 (released October 28, 2005) was based on GNOME 2.10 and OpenSolaris Desktop 02 (released December 23, 2005) is based on GNOME 2.12.
OpenSolaris Desktop is now tied to the OpenSolaris operating system, and does not have its own release schedule. The latest version was released with the release of OpenSolaris 2009.6, and was based on Gnome 2.24. It also included Firefox 3.1, OpenOffice 3 and Sun VirtualBox.