Sun Microsystems Inc’s software group has repackaged its C++ ChorusOS embedded operating system kernel for the consumer appliance market as JavaOS for Consumers. Not to be confused with the native JavaOS for network computers – which is claimed to be alive and well, though hardly in evidence at this week’s JavaOne conference – JavaOS for Consumers is destined for use in web phones, set-top devices, handhelds and other devices which require a hardy, network kernel underpinning their Java devices. The operating system is the first in a series of JavaOS releases Sun plans to offer for use in discrete markets. Of course it’s got the marketing budget and promotional resources to tout the operating system that Chorus Systems SA never had. The JavaOS for Consumers is an enhanced version of ChorusOS with the Posix, networking, graphics, device drivers and I/O subsystem components optimized for use with the Java Virtual Machine and other Java application interfaces such as Personal Java. It’s also supposed to leverage the JavaTV, JavaPhone, and AutoJava APIs Sun announced yesterday. The two are not dependent on each other and not all Personal Java licensees are going to want the ChorusOS, which lacks the Java browser Chorus added as ChorusJazz. Some companies will have written their own code while others will be using one of the half dozen or so third party real-time kernels available. Users can take advantage of ChorusOS’ native object request broker or Sun’s RMI remote method invocation technology for writing distributed applications, although it’s not clear just how much development capability customers get as Sun said it is currently only shipping a placeholder API toolbox, which will not be replaced by a production version for some time. Sun’s consumer technology group – the former Diba Inc appliance design company acquired by Sun- was on hand showing prototype devices built to its forthcoming reference designs running parts of the JavaOS for Consumers. It’s supposedly cooking up a bevy of designs it will sell to third parties including set-top box and screen phones that will leverage JavaOS for Consumers and Sun’s own Java chips. The internet TV device it showed was built by Sampo using PowerPC. Sun claims it’s close to rolling out an entire end-to-end Java solutions strategy with client and server devices for all markets.
