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HP's LinuxCOE turns 4.0, enables DIY Linux distros
Jun. 08, 2007

Wouldn't it be great if Linux system managers could have one system to install, configure, and maintain -- not just multiple Linux systems, but multiple Linux distributions, as well? Well, actually, thanks to Hewlett-Packard's newly released LinuxCOE 4.0 (Linux Common Operating Environment), they can.

While there are many Linux management systems -- for example, Webmin, ZENworks 7 Linux Management, and Centeris Likewise Management Suite -- few of them can manage multiple Linux distributions. This is LinuxCOE's sweet spot.

Version 4.0 of LinuxCOE is the latest upgrade to the seven-year GPL-licensed open-source project, which is driven by HP engineering contributions. It started life as an internally developed tool to efficiently manage the growing number of both desktop and server Linux systems in HP's IT environment.

Essentially, it lets someone custom design a system running Linux via the LinuxCOE System Designer Web site (choosing from over 100 Linux distributions), download a customized boot image onto a USB drive or CD and then install elsewhere according to the original design. Once a system is up and running, LinuxCOE provides continued life-cycle support for patch and package updates.

Today, within HP, there are over 15,000 systems that were provisioned with Linux and are currently being managed using LinuxCOE. As the saying goes, HP isn't just developing LinuxCOE; they're "eating their own dog food."

This newest version features the ability to support 100+ distributions, in addition to systems from Red Hat and Novell. The provisioning mechanism allows quick and consistent installation of multiple Linux systems at one time.

To keep these systems up to snuff, LinuxCOE uses a unified patch and package acquisition infrastructure based on Yum (Yellowdog Update Modified). This is an automatic updater and package installer/remover for rpm-compatible Linux systems.

If you want to give LinuxCOE a try, you can use it to install a Linux system by visiting the Instalinux website. For the source code and documentation visit the LinuxCOE site. At this time, no distribution packages are available for the program.


-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols



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