“In an effort to win the hearts and minds of Linux
developers, Compaq Computer Corp. said it will open up parts of its
proprietary Tru64 operating system. The opening of the code is
one step Compaq is taking to curry favor with the open-source
movement, even as the company continues to invest in its
proprietary operating system, said Tim Yeaton, vice president and
general manager of Compaq’s Unix business, which includes both
Tru64 and its Linux strategy. Yeaton declined to provide
details, including which parts of Tru64’s source code would be made
publicly available.”
“Last year, Compaq Chairman Ben Rosen said Compaq would invest
$100 million into the marketing and development of its Tru64
platform on AlphaServers,a move that brought cheers from platform
loyalists. Since then, Linux has gained momentum in the marketplace
and in the minds of software developers, which Compaq sees as key
to Tru64’s future.”
“In addition, Compaq plans to continue to tout the binary
compatibility features of Tru64 with Linux, meaning it will pitch
to developers the ability to write applications that are able to
run on both operating systems.”