20.1 Linux distributions for the mainframe

At the time of writing, there were three distributions available for Linux on the mainframe from distributors Red Hat, SuSE, and Turbolinux, as shown in Table 20-1.

Table 20-1. Mainframe Linux distributions

Distributor	Version	Web site
Red Hat, Inc.	Red Hat Linux 7.1 for zSeries (64-bit) Red Hat Linux 7.2 for S/390 (31-bit)	http://www.redhat.com/
SuSE Linux AG	SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 7 for S/390 and zSeries (31-bit) SLES 7 for IBM zSeries (64-bit) SLES 8 powered by UnitedLinux	http://www.suse.com/
Turbolinux, Inc.	Turbolinux 6.5 for zSeries and S/390	http://www.turbolinux.com/

In May 2002, Connectiva S. A., the SCO group, SuSE Linux AG, and Turbolinux, Inc., created an initiative called UnitedLinux. This initiative will work to streamline Linux development and certification around a global, uniform distribution of Linux designed for business.

The initiative hopes that UnitedLinux will address enterprise customers' need for a standard, business-focused Linux distribution that is certified to work across hardware and software platforms, accelerating the adoption of Linux in the enterprise. Under the terms of the agreement, the four companies will collaborate on the development of one common core Linux operating environment, called UnitedLinux software. The four companies will each bundle value-added products and services with the UnitedLinux operating system, and the resulting offering will be marketed and sold by each of the four partners under their own brands.

UnitedLinux is available for the mainframe through SuSE SLES 8 Powered by UnitedLinux.

For more information, white paper, and strategy documents about UnitedLinux, see http://www.unitedlinux.com/.