Dell to Show Off 64-Bit Linux Server

SAN FRANCISCO (08/11/2000) - Dell Computer Corp. will affirm its commitment to Linux next week when it demonstrates a prototype 64-bit server running on the popular open-source platform, a person close to Dell said Friday.

The Round Rock, Texas-based computer maker will show a prototype PowerEdge Server based on a 64-bit Itanium processor from Intel Corp. and running a version of Linux from Red Hat Inc. The server will be shown accessing IBM Corp.'s DB2 database and running mySAP.com, SAP AG's suite of Internet-enabled electronic-business software, the person said.

The demonstration will be offered Monday at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo taking place in San Jose, California. Michael Dell, Dell's chairman and chief executive officer, is due to deliver the opening keynote speech at LinuxWorld on Tuesday morning.

Dell announced plans in June to sell PowerEdge servers preinstalled with Red Hat Linux, and to work with the open-source vendor to develop 64-bit Linux systems. The availability of 64-bit versions of Linux from a major hardware vendor like Dell should help boost the operating system's appeal for running higher-end, enterprise-type applications.

Red Hat Linux joins Microsoft Corp.'s Windows and Novell Inc.'s Netware as the third operating system that Dell installs and supports for customers.

Deploy's Linux Boxes with Toyota

Dell has partnered with Toyota Motor Sales USA to equip more than 1,400 Toyota and Lexus dealerships with Linux-based PowerApp Web appliance servers, an executive said during the PC maker's quarterly earnings call Thursday. The servers will be used to provide digital multimedia content for customers and employees.

Compaq Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. also are set to make enterprise-related Linux server announcements next week.

Compaq will provide details about select Proliant servers that will be sold preloaded with Linux, and will also discuss its strategy to offer Linux across all of its products lines, a spokeswoman for the company said. Compaq is staying mum about further details of next week's announcements.

Hewlett-Packard Co., meanwhile, is also expected to announce that it will make a major commitment to support Linux across virtually all of its product line.

The company is expected to detail plans to ship a developer release of Linux for its HP 9000 servers, and demonstrate software tools from its HP-UX environment running on Linux.

(Dominique Deckmyn of Computerworld, an IDG affiliate publication, contributed to this article.)More information about the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo is on the Web at http://www.linuxworldexpo.com/. Dell can be reached at +1-512-723-5512 or http://www.dell.com/.