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Nexenta OS is a Debian-based GNU/Solaris operating system for IA-32 and x86-64 based systems. It's the first distribution that combines GNU with the OpenSolaris kernel and core user space utilities. Nexenta Systems, Inc has initiated the project and sponsors its continued development. [http://www.nexenta.com/ Nexenta Systems' homepage] explains the etymology of "nexenta".
Nexenta is based on Ubuntu, but with the Linux kernel replaced with the Solaris kernel. Doing this saves time and resources from having to create yet another software base from scratch. There are two official APT repositories: "testing" and "unstable", totaling over 12,000 packages. A third "stable" repository is planned for the first official release. Nexenta OS is available in LiveCD, hard disk install and VMware image editions. Source code CDs are available for download as well.
Since Nexenta OS is not based on Linux, hardware support is not as diverse yet. Sun Microsystems only began releasing the code of their Solaris operating system as open source and therefore and establishing the OpenSolaris project. Proprietary Solaris versions have been known to be more compatible with Sun's own SPARC-based hardware and equipment, while x86 support fell short. But this situation is rapidily changing now that the vast majority of the Solaris code-base has been open sourced under Sun's CDDL license and support for binary drivers on top of a stable ABI exist. This makes it legal for hardware manufacturers to release device drivers without the source.
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