Caldera OpenLinux

• Willows, a Microsoft Windows-compatible
  API for Unix systems to allow recompilation of Windows programs for Linux.^{[3][citation needed}
  ]
• Wine, a compatibility layer for running Windows and DOS software
• Ferret, a meeting browser^[4]
• word processing application
  bought by Novell in June 1994

At this point in 1995 Ransom Love and Ray Noorda took note of the technologies that Caldera put together, specifically:

• Caldera built on the Linux kernel which ran on
  Red Hat Commercial Linux.^[7][8]
• Its
  Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and Windows NT 3.51), due to its being Unix-like
  .
• Caldera included a version of Novell's
  network protocol and a client for NetWare
  .
• The
  Macintosh
  , as well as Caldera's system itself.
• Caldera also incorporated LISA (Linux Installation and System Administration),
  Linux Support Team (LST) for their own Linux distribution.^[9]

In 1995, when XFree86 was still very hard to configure and unreliable on most chipsets, Caldera had shipped with MetroLink's Motif and XI Graphic's Accelerated-X.^[13]

Known releases:

• Caldera Network Desktop 1.0 Preview I (1995-05)^[14]
• Caldera Network Desktop 1.0 Preview II (1995-09) with Linux kernel 1.2.13^[13]
• Caldera Network Desktop 1.0 (scheduled for 1995-11, released 1996-02-05^[15])
• Caldera Network Desktop Bundle (scheduled for 1995-12, released 1996-02-05)

Caldera Network Desktop was produced and sold until March 1997.^[13]

Caldera OpenLinux

During 1996, Caldera continued to be a valuable player, for example, on 23 May 1996, at the

By 1997, when the OpenLinux distribution was first released, Caldera had taken on the form that it would be most remembered for. Caldera had switched over to the high end Linux product. The "business" Linux distribution became more rich with features with bundled proprietary software. However, it became less community oriented and was released less frequently than other Linuxes did.^{[citation needed]} Other differences included automated configuration for administration tools, paid technical support staff, built-in consistent default GUI, and a range of supported applications.

Over the next^[

.

In partnership with

Oracle database

.

Other ventures included starting the Blackdown Java project,^{[citation needed]} and creating professional certification.

They also formed strong partnerships with SCO's

vertical applications

.

Caldera Systems offered three versions of OpenLinux:

• OpenLinux Lite was a freely downloadable version.
• OpenLinux Base was a USD 99 version with a few extensions.
• OpenLinux Standard was USD 299 and was their fully featured product.

In addition to other people's applications, they created many Linux extensions to fill voids where no other commercial company was.

Caldera Systems initiated the development of a Linux alternative to

Caldera Deutschland pioneered the development of Lizard,^[24] the first fully graphical installer for Linux, which debuted in November 1998. They were also credited^{[citation needed]} with introducing browser-based Unix system administration and supporting projects like webmin

, employing developer Jamie Cameron from 1999 to 2001.

Furthermore, Caldera Systems introduced Caldera Open Administration System (COAS), a comprehensive GUI system administration tool. COAS boasted a user-friendly interface, modular design for ease of use, and scalability. Its key features included portability via a platform repository, an open development model, flexible module licensing, support for multiple user interfaces (including batch processing, ncurses, QT, and Java), a scripting interface (Python) for rapid prototyping, and backward compatibility, making it compatible with native files and friendly to users accustomed to command-line interfaces like "vi admin".

Caldera Systems created a full featured GUI system administration tool called Caldera Open Administration System (COAS).^[when?] The tool was a unified, easy to use administration tool with a modular design. With its scalability and broad scope abilities, it featured:^[25][26]

• platform
  repository)
• Open development model
• Flexible
  module
  licensing
• Multiple user interfaces (
  QT, Java
  )
• Scripting interface (Python) for rapid prototyping
• Backward compatibility (works on native files, "vi admin" friendly)

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (August 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

OpenLinux showed the Linux community what would be required to create a mainstream desktop OS out of the Linux kernel. In many ways the last ten years^[when?] of desktop progress has been to successfully implement what Caldera was attempting to do with the tools they had available using open source software in place of the closed applications. Their technique for this was to utilize commercial software to fill in the largest gaps making their product a "value add" and thus they could charge for it. It made them the most commercial and at the same time it made them the most advanced distribution available.

The desktop company became Caldera International under the direction of Ransom Love.^{[dubious – discuss]}

The focus for the desktop company became mainly

64-bit strategy. What SCO offered was:^[28]

• A strong list of business clients.
• Higher compatibility between SCO and Linux than any other Unix/Linux combination, mainly as a result of Caldera's long standing SCO focus that created products like ABI and thus resulted in ports of SCO code to Linux
• A good back-office and database solution while Linux specialized in networking (LAMP) and client desktop, a very appealing combination in challenging Sun and Microsoft
• A global infrastructure (presence in about 80 countries), Caldera was domestic
• Thousands of business applications targeted to
  vertical markets
• Some of the 3rd party components needed to get
  Solaris 3rd party Java applications
  ported to Linux

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (November 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

From a technical standpoint however Caldera OpenLinux really shone during the Ransom Love years. Their

disputed (for: refuted by events – Red Hat survived in the Linux business, Caldera did not)  – discuss

• Caldera OpenLinux Lite/Base/Standard(/Deluxe) 1.0 (1997) with Linux kernel 2.0.25
• Caldera OpenLinux Lite/Base/Standard 1.1 (1997)
• Caldera OpenLinux Lite/Base/Standard 1.2 (1998-04-17)
• Caldera Systems OpenLinux Lite/Base 1.3 (1998-09-28) with Linux kernel 2.0.35[29]
• Caldera Systems OpenLinux 1.4^{[citation needed]}
• Caldera Systems OpenLinux 2.2 (1999-04-19) with Linux kernel 2.2.xx
• Caldera Systems OpenLinux eDesktop/eServer 2.3 (1999) with Linux kernel 2.2.10
• Caldera Systems OpenLinux eServer 2.3.1
• Caldera Systems OpenLinux eDesktop/eBuilder 2.4
• Caldera Systems OpenLinux eBuilder 3.0
• Caldera International OpenLinux Workstation/Server 3.1 (2001) with Linux kernel 2.4.2
• Caldera International OpenLinux Workstation/Server 3.1.1 (2002) with Linux kernel 2.4.xx

Other products:

• Caldera NetWare for Linux 1.0 (1998)^[30]

United Linux

Caldera Systems quickly found itself in a classic business problem where the interests of the existing business conflicted with their growth model. Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) was a much larger company than Caldera Systems had been, and in fact of the $71 million of revenue 90% was from the SCO side of the business. Moreover, Caldera Systems costs $4 in marketing to generate a $1 in sales,^[31] SCO was mature and sold itself (mainly to repeat customers). The VAR relationship was even more problematic. Caldera Systems had always sold the "Linux is SCO but better" model and had done everything possible to make the transition from SCO to Caldera Systems relatively seamless. Each of the 14,000 SCO resellers made much more from each SCO sale than from sales of Caldera Systems, so they were not anxious to move existing customers from SCO to Linux; and even those, that were supportive of Linux, saw no strong value add for Caldera Systems and often sold Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Caldera Systems had two businesses in direct competition, one, which was a shrinking, but still profitable Unix business, the other a rapidly growing business, that was still hemorrhaging money.

The most logical solution was to establish Caldera Systems as the premier

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (November 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Business responded favorably to the movement as

• Global scope
• Global support at the VAR,
  OEM
  and distribution level
• A full training organization
• Some governmental buy-in
• Support from major corporations
• Oracle supported out of the box
• An actual production GUI that ran well on a variety of hardware

SUSE Linux had the engineering, as it had continued to maintain a large technical staff, Caldera International had the global support organization, and Turbo Linux as well as Conectiva brought with growth potential into less flooded markets. This merger was so successful,^[

United Linux was rejected by the broader Linux community;[33] the use of per-seat licensing was their most highly controversial decision.^[34] More importantly, by the time United Linux was released, Darl McBride had become CEO of Caldera International and the focus had shifted away from Linux.

Caldera International at this point released a Caldera "Linux distribution"^{[citation needed][clarification needed]} with the OpenUNIX 8 kernel instead of the Linux kernel. Unix has TLI and STREAMS support, which made writing drivers easier. Caldera International proved this by replacing the kernel and yet not having to change much else on a full featured desktop and server "Linux".^[35][36]

Copyright infringement allegations]

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (November 2015)

Further information:

SCO-Linux controversies

In 2002, the Caldera International

The SCO Group. Ransom Love was reassigned to work exclusively on United Linux. After he completed this, he left the company to join Progeny Linux Systems which was aiming to create a professional Debian. He remained there in the capacity of a board member and advisor^[37]

until 30 April 2007 when Progeny ceased operations.

McBride began to focus on SCO's copyrights. One of McBride's first acts as CEO was to collect $600,000 in back licensing fees that were owed to Caldera International. He cleaned up various Linux-related licensing issues allowing for a new round of financing.

denied selling them the Unix copyright, prompting them to sue for slander of title. SCO also initiated lawsuits against IBM and AutoZone, alleging copyright infringements through the use or distribution of Linux; none of these lawsuits have been resolved. SCO has created a division, SCOsource

, that owns and licenses their intellectual property; a desktop license is $699.

See also

• Caldera Systems Smallfoot
• Lineo Embedix
• Novell SUSE Linux
• Novell UnixWare
• Star Trek project
• Caldera DR-WebSpyder

Notes