Recognising that the Linux desktop market is only going to grow, and that there's money to made in the corporate arena, Sun's Java Desktop 2003 is squarely aimed at companies looking for a cheap, easy, and compatible alternative to Microsoft's (often expensive) dominance.
But Sun's foray into the Linux desktop revolution appears to have a few hiccups. While the desktop itself is quite polished, installation turned out to be a pain. On our nForce2-based test system the graphical installer hung repeatedly. Even booting using a provided 'safe' mode (which disables the sometimes problematic ACPI support) failed to boot far enough to start the installer. In the end we had to use a text-based install with ACPI disabled to get the product installed. After installation ACPI needed to remain disabled but the graphical desktop booted fine. This was far too much trouble for its worth, and surprising in a distribution coming from the expertise of Sun.
Though the install was problematic it's actually a very versatile installer -- specifics such as language, install type, input devices, video settings and target partition are all configured in a free flowing menu prior to installation, after which the install can be carried out without further intervention. In a departure from other distributions, the default file system for new partitions is the fast and journaling file system ReiserFS, a sign that the file system has come of age. Curiously, Sun seems to have taken a leaf from Microsoft and requires a reboot between the 'base' install and installing packages on the remaining CDs.
If you look under the hood for just a moment you'll find Sun's Java Desktop is essentially a tailored version of SuSE Enterprise Linux 8. SuSE is the most popular distribution in Europe, and well known for its excellent system configuration tool YaST (Yet another Setup Tool). Indeed YaST handles the installation and configuration for the whole system, and makes it extremely easy to manage everything from user accounts, to hardware configuration, to setting up a firewall. YaST was recently made open source, so it's possible other distributions may soon start using or taking choice parts from this comprehensive tool.
Once installed you are presented by a very polished desktop based around GNOME 2.2. Sun has undertaken extensive work to provide a unique theme (with a number of classy variations as well) that are easy on the eyes and a pleasure to use. Browsing is handled by Mozilla 1.4 complete with Flash, Acrobat, and RealPlayer support while email and personal contacts are managed by the versatile Evolution PIM suite. Office tasks are provided, of course, by Sun's StarOffice 7 -- the father and source upon which OpenOffice is based -- which includes word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and even HTML editing packages. The PC Authority A-Listed StarOffice is an excellent suite that's easily a challenger to Microsoft Office and is compatible with it to boot. The GIMP image editor, Totem movie player, and GNOMEmeeting video conferencing software round off the standard complement of desktop applications.
Other provided packages include XFree86 4.3, MrProject project management, Gaim instant messaging, CUPS printer support, ALSA sound support, a range of development tools, and an alternative FVWM based desktop. Naturally Sun's Java 1.4.2_02 environment is pre-installed along with some sample applications that include a source code editor and graphical disk analyser to show off Java's capabilities.
The six disc (including one documentation disk) distribution utilises Red Hat's RPM format and all binaries are i586 (Pentium) optimised. The distribution also installs a CPU optimised or multiprocessor kernel as appropriate, all based around a SuSE modified 2.4.19 kernel. It's the still-in-development ACPI support in this kernel version that likely caused our installation problems, so a kernel update is recommended.
Overall Sun's Java Desktop is a cleanly integrated desktop solution for the corporate market. It's not as feature rich as distributions designed for home users, but then this is a strength that Sun sells it upon -- a simple, unified, business desktop. With special pricing for multiple seats, and with StarOffice included, Sun's Java Desktop is a serious competitor to Windows in the corporate desktop space, although you’ll have to factor in the cost of migrating from Windows and training, but given the strength and maturity of the applications, you could still come out on top.