LISA11 - Fork Yeah! The Rise and Development of illumos 13 Years ago

Illumos: A New Dawn for a Lost Legacy

In the summer of 2010, a quiet revolution began. A few brilliant minds, driven by a burning desire to keep the flame of innovation alive, gathered around a project that had been abandoned. It wasn’t a treasure map, nor a lost city—but a computer system known as OpenSolaris. Once the pride of Sun Microsystems, it was now locked away, its future uncertain after Oracle, a giant in the tech world, had taken control and closed its doors.

But in the heart of that silence, like a spark in the dark, Illumos was born.

The Moment of Change

OpenSolaris had given birth to powerful tools: ZFS (a way to keep your files safe like a vault), DTrace (a magnifying glass for tech detectives), and Zones (a clever trick to make one computer act like many). But as Oracle shut down OpenSolaris, the creators of Illumos saw their chance. They took those powerful tools and, like explorers on a grand adventure, set out to build something new, something free, something for everyone.

A Bold Step Forward

By 2016, Illumos had already grown strong. But it wasn’t just growing—it was evolving. The engineers who once worked at Sun Microsystems, like a team of pioneers, continued their journey with Illumos, and more joined them. Some of these brave souls had left their homes in search of new land (or in this case, new software) to discover. They weren’t just creating a program—they were building a community, a family, all working to make Illumos stronger.

1. Moving On from Old Roads: There was a time when Illumos worked with old machines, like the SPARC computers. But these were becoming rare, like forgotten relics in an attic. So, Illumos chose to focus on faster, stronger computers that could carry it into the future. They didn't just keep running—they ran ahead, leading the way.

2. Spreading Like Wildfire: Some brilliant minds took Illumos and made their own versions of it. Some built OpenIndiana, which was perfect for businesses and big servers. Others, like the fearless engineers of SmartOS, took it to the cloud—where everything we use on the internet can be stored and run. And then there were those who wanted something nostalgic yet powerful—Tribblix, a version that mixed the old with the new, like a time traveler.

The Road Ahead

And now, as Illumos stands tall, looking ahead, the journey isn’t over. There’s talk of new lands to explore. Brave engineers are considering a new language, Rust, to make the code even safer, stronger, and faster. They're improving how Illumos works with virtual machines—imagine a computer inside a computer—and strengthening its power in the cloud. They aren’t just waiting for the future—they’re shaping it.

Why Illumos?

The story of Illumos isn’t just about code or technology. It’s about adventure, curiosity, and people who refused to let a treasure be buried in the past. Every line of code, every new feature, is a testament to those who wonder what’s possible, who ask why, and who seek answers where others see none. It’s a journey anyone with curiosity in their heart can join—and who knows? You might just help discover the next big breakthrough.

Because in the world of Illumos, there are no limits to what can be found. And that’s what makes it so exciting.

In August 2010, illumos, a new OpenSolaris derivative, was born. While not at the time intended to be a fork, Oracle sealed the fate of illumos when it elected to close OpenSolaris: by choosing to cease its contributions, Oracle promoted illumos from a downstream repository to the open source repository of record for such revolutionary technologies as ZFS, DTrace, and Zones. This move accelerated the diaspora of kernel engineers from the former Sun Microsystems, many of whom have landed in the illumos community, where they continue to innovate. We will discuss the history of illumos but will focus on its promising future.

From Dan's file 2015.

13 years ago was 2014.

Why did Dan care about this?