OpenPKG Project
OpenPKG ProjectPress

Press Release


  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 20-Oct-2004

    The OpenPKG project releases version 2.2 of the
    unique cross-platform software packaging facility.

  http://www.openpkg.org/ — Munich, DE — October 20, 2004 — The
  OpenPKG project is proud to announce version 2.2 of its OpenPKG
  software, another evolutionary step after a series of six
  predecessors within three years.

  Much valued by IT decision makers and beloved by Unix system
  administrators, OpenPKG is the world leading instrument for deployment
  and maintenance of Open Source Unix software when administration
  crosses platform boundaries. The unique OpenPKG architecture leverages
  proven technologies like Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) and OSSP
  and GNU components to establish a unified software administration
  environment, independent of the underlying Unix operating system.

  NEW IN VERSION 2.2

  OpenPKG 2.2 is available for 18 different Unix flavors. Most notably,
  it is supported on FreeBSD 4.10 and 5.3, Debian GNU/Linux 3.0, Red Hat
  Enterprise Linux 3, Fedora Core 2, SuSE Linux 9.1, and Sun Solaris
  8 and 9. Additionally, all CORE and the vast majority of BASE class
  packages are already available for the tentative platforms NetBSD
  1.6.2, Debian GNU/Linux 3.1, Gentoo Linux 1.5.3, Mandrake Linux 10.0,
  Sun Solaris 10 and HP HP-UX 11.11. Packages are even still available
  for the obsoleted platforms SuSE Linux 9.0 and Sun Solaris 2.6.

  Since the previous release four months ago, the OpenPKG package
  repository has grown by 10%. A subset of 528 packages were carefully
  selected for inclusion into the OpenPKG 2.2 release, including the
  latest versions of popular Open Source Unix software like Apache,
  Bash, BIND, GCC, INN, Mozilla, MySQL, OpenSSH, Perl, Postfix,
  PostgreSQL, Samba, Squid, teTeX and Vim.

  Focusing on portability and isolation, OpenPKG 2.2 places greater
  emphasis on reducing underlying Unix system requirements. Effort was
  expended to offer a smooth upgrade path from the previous release,
  which should reassure administrators of high availability systems.

  HIGHLIGHTS OF OPENPKG

  * Portable across major Unix flavors.
  * Available for the supported platforms:
    FreeBSD 4.10/5.3, Debian Linux 3.0, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3,
    Fedora Core 2, SuSE Linux 9.1 and Solaris 8 and 9.
  * Already available for the tentative platforms:
    NetBSD 1.6.2, Debian GNU/Linux 3.1, Gentoo Linux 1.5.3,
    Mandrake Linux 10.0, Sun Solaris 10 and HP HP-UX 11.11.
  * Still available for the obsoleted platforms:
    SuSE Linux 9.0, and Sun Solaris 2.6.
  * Entirely based on Open Source software technology.
  * Minimum operating system intrusion and dependency.
  * Minimum overhead in software packaging.
  * All packages up to date with vendor versions as of 12-Oct-2004.
  * Sources of 528 CORE+BASE+PLUS packages released.
  * Binaries of CORE+BASE class packages provided for supported platforms.
  * Binaries of CORE class packages provided for all platforms.
  * Easy installation, updating and deinstallation of packages.
  * Bundled with useful and secure package preconfigurations.
  * Includes an abstracted and powerful run-command facility.
  * Virtual hosting through multiple instances on a single system.
  * Proxy packages for reusing packages across instances.
  * Build-time package variations for maximum flexibility.
  * Foundation to build encapsulated and self-contained environments.

  HISTORY OF THE OPENPKG PROJECT

  The OpenPKG project was founded in 2000 by Ralf S. Engelschall and
  the sponsor Cable & Wireless. It was first released as Open Source
  software in January 2002. Today OpenPKG is a mature technology in
  production use, and is maintained and improved by its original
  developers and volunteer contributors.

  Ralf S. Engelschall is the principal author of numerous other popular
  Open Source Software technologies as well. His accomplishments include
  releases of OSSP components, Apache SSL/TLS Engine (mod_ssl), Apache
  URL Rewriting Engine (mod_rewrite), GNU Portable Threads (Pth), GNU
  Portable Shell Tool (Shtool), Website META Language (WML) and more.

  MORE INFORMATION

  The OpenPKG Project
  openpkg@openpkg.org
  +49-89-92699-251 (CET)
  +49-172-8986801  (CET)