by Linux Today Silicon Valley correspondent, John Wolley
Linux Today sources close to the Monterey project have informed
us that Monterey is the first commercial Unix to be up and running
on Intel’s 64-bit Merced chip. IBM achieved the breakthrough
Monday at an Intel facility in Dupont, Washington, and a press
release is expected as early as tomorrow (Friday, 17 September). It
is said that it took IBM engineers only 24 hours to boot
Monterey on Merced, reflecting the stability of the
code.
Sun Microsystems recently demoed Solaris on a Merced simulator,
and “will make an early version available to key software vendors
this fall” (ComputerWorld 9/99).
But Monterey is evidently the first commercial Unix to “run on the
real thing”.
Conspicuously absent from the Merced lineup is a 64-bit version
of Microsoft Windows, but it’s on the horizon. As of 1 September,
the latest word from Microsoft was: “The company has said since
last year that it will deliver its final 64-bit Windows product
concurrently with Intel Corp.’s shipment of its IA-64 Merced
processor. Company officials reiterated Microsoft’s commitment to
ship a 64-bit NT release before the end of 2000.” (SRO
9/99)
A TechWeb
(8/99) story detailed the formidable list of companies now
backing Monterey: “Project Monterey is a joint venture among SCO,
IBM, Sequent, and Compaq to deliver a high-volume, enterprise-class
Unix operating system. Intel has targeted the second half of next
year for shipment of IA-64. …SCO said it has added South Korean
electronics giant Samsung to a list in nine OEMs that are
supporting the project. … Other OEMs who support the project
include Acer, Bull, CETIA (a subsidiary of Thomson-CF), ICL, and
Unisys.”
A founder of the Monterey project in October, 1998, IBM has also
recently joined the Trillian project. Trillian is the effort by
Intel, VA Linux, Hewlett-Packard, Cygnus Solutions, Silicon
Graphics, and others to port Linux to Merced. Trillian’s Linux laid
a claim to being the very first OS to run on Merced at LinuxWorld
in August, demoed by no less than former Intel chairman Andy Grove
(TechWeb
8/99).
In addition to the “related stories” links below, technical
information on Monterey is available from the Monterey Project home
page.
Related stories
The Register:
Linux could pip other OSes to Merced post (Sep 14, 1999)
The Register:
Merced silicon happens: Linux runs, NT doesn’t (Aug 26,
1999)
VNUNet: SCO
Forum: Monterey members declare war on HP and Sun (Aug 17,
1999)
TechWeb: SCO
Forum Builds Support For Project Monterey (Aug 17, 1999)
CNET News.com:
Monterey gathers more support (Aug 16, 1999)
IT-Analysis:
Linux and the port of St Trillians (Aug 16, 1999)
The Register:
Merced Linux expected Q1, as IBM joins Trillian (Aug 12,
1999)
EE Times:
Trillian makes headway on Linux for Merced (Aug 12, 1999)
TechWeb: Intel’s
Chairman Shows Off Linux On Merced (Aug 10, 1999)
CNET News.com:
IBM joins advanced Linux effort (Aug 10, 1999)
CRN: Intel Links
to Linux for Merced (Mar 02, 1999)