Red Hat launches IA-64 Linux distribution

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May 19, 2000
Web posted at: 1:26 p.m. EDT (1726 GMT)

by Jack McCarthy

(IDG) -- Red Hat has released alpha source code to enable software developers to build applications for Intel's IA-64 architecture based on Red Hat's Linux distribution.

With the open-source distribution source code, developers will be able to create Linux-based programs for Itanium, Intel's first 64-bit processor based on its IA-64 architecture, which is expected to power high-end servers and workstations. Itanium is due to go into production in the third quarter of this year.

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The pervasiveness of the Linux operating system should significantly increase with its support for Itanium, Melissa London, a Red Hat spokeswoman, said in a phone interview Wednesday. Some IT industry observers had questioned the open-source operating system's ability to run high-end systems, she added.

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"A lot of issues have been raised about the scalability of Linux in the high-end environment," London said. "This (source code release) is going to enable a high-end, intensive computing environment."

The Red Hat alpha source code can be downloaded for free at ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/ia64.

In an unprecedented move, Intel last week published a guide to Itanium's full functional behavior in order to encourage software developers to create optimized products for the upcoming chip.

Intel has spearheaded the IA-64 Linux project, originally known as the Trillian project, in a concerted effort to port the IA-64 chip to Linux. Intel, Red Hat, IBM, Hewlett-Packard and others are participating in the project.

The final Red Hat version of its IA-64 Linux distribution source code will be released at the same time as Itanium, Red Hat's London said.

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Red Hat
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