Information Library for Solaris 2.6 (Intel Platform Edition)

New Features in Previous Solaris Releases

This section describes features introduced in previous Solaris releases.

Solaris 2.5.1 Release

Table 2-2 describes new and enhanced features of the Solaris 2.5.1 release, the previous release.

Table 2-2 New Features in Solaris 2.5.1


Feature	Description
Security
Large User IDs and Group ID	The limit on User ID and Group ID values has been raised to 2147483647, or the maximum value of a signed integer. The nobody user and group (60001) and the no access user and group (60002) retain the same UIDs and GIDs as previous Solaris 2.x releases.
Graphics/Imaging
KCMS Calibrator Tool	KCMS includes a loadable driver module for the X-Rite DTP92 Incident Colorimeter. The driver supports the X-Rite colorimeter, which connects to the serial port to obtain color measurement data. Includes new procedures for adding and removing color calibration modules to the system configuration file, `OWconfig`.

Solaris 2.5 Release

Table 2-3 describes new and enhanced features of the Solaris 2.5 release.

Table 2-3 New Features in Solaris 2.5


Features	Description
Standards
XCU4 Conformance (for SPARC and Intel Systems)	Utilities conform to the XCU4 portion of the X/Open Portability Guide, Issue 4 specification from X/Open.
POSIX.1c Conformance	Conforms to standards based on draft 10, which defines multithreading interfaces.
Networking
Network File System	Improves NFS version 2 and adds version 3. The following features were added: - Support Access Control Lists - NFS over TCP - Version 3 includes safe asynchronous writes on a server and has improved performance - NFS Lock Manager - Support for X/Open Federated Naming
Point-to-Point Protocol	PPP links computers and networks at separate locations using modems and telephone lines. New levels of security added.
`telnet/telnetd`	- Telnet client was upgraded to the 4.4 BSD version. - `rlogind/telnetd`, remote login capacity improved.
Name Service Cache Daemon	Improves responsiveness of name service requests.
Security
NIS+ Security	Password aging enhances system security.
File Systems
UFS Error Recovery	Improved error detection and soft failure modes.
UFS Filesystem Debugger	Changes to UFS improve operation of `fsdb_ufs(1M)`.
UFS Access Control Lists	Provides a more precise way to manage file access permissions.
CacheFS Statistics	Improves NFS server performance and scalability by reducing server and network load.
Installation
Service Setup for Clients	The installation program has changed and no longer sets up services for clients. To complete client and network setup, use the Solstice Host Manager.
System Administration
System Administration Tools	- Solstice AdminTools^TM utility now used only for administering local systems. - Solstice AdminSuite^TM product now used for managing systems in a network. (For SPARC and Intel systems)
`/proc` Tools	New process tools are available in `/usr/proc/bin` that display highly detailed information about the active processes stored in `/proc`, the process file system.
OpenWindows
OpenWindows with Kodak Color Management System Calibrator Tool	The OpenWindows version 3.5 software includes the KCMS calibrator tool, which provides adjustments for accurate color representation to scanners, color monitors, and other output devices.
Graphics/Imaging
PEX 3.0 Runtime Environment (for SPARC Systems)	The PEX application programmer interface (API) provides application portability across platforms and 3-D graphics on local and remote displays.
XGL 3.2 Runtime Environment	The XGL 2-D and 3-D immediate-mode API provides portability across hardware platforms and optimal performance from graphics acceleration. The XGL API includes support for raster text, environment and vertex-level texture mapping, four-component texture mapping, DGA transparent overlay, and triangle list Gcache.
XIL 1.2.1 Runtime Environment	A foundation imaging library, suitable for libraries or applications requiring imaging or digital video, such as document imaging, color prepress, or digital video generation and playback. Version 1.2.1 contains bug fixes and performance enhancements.
Hardware
Enhanced Hardware Support	A wider range of new hardware configurations is supported.
St Driver	St driver supports tape drive models without waiting for new versions of the binary driver. Supports all tape positioning commands.
Support for SPARCstorage Array (SPARC Systems)	Installation is improved.
Miscellaneous
Sendmail	- Is now compatible with older sendmail files - Selects all hosts at a given priority through an MX randomizer - Support for ESMTP - Reduces duplicate mail if server fails
X/Open Federated Naming Service	FNS combines different naming systems that are regulated under a single interface.
Nologin	System administrators can warn users about impending down-time with /etc/nologin.
Font Support	- CID fonts provide improved performance for Display PostScript clients. - X11 clients can now access fonts rendered by the DPS extension through the XATM interface.
Compatibility	- More Solaris 1 binaries are now able to run on the Solaris 2.5 operating system. (For SPARC systems) - Some shell scripts from 4.x now work under 2.5.
Performance
Time-sharing	Improved performance under time-sharing work loads.
KAIO	Improves the performance of asynchronous reads or writes for raw devices.

Solaris 2.4 Release

Table 2-4 describes new and enhanced features of the Solaris 2.4 release.

Table 2-4 New Features in Solaris 2.4


Features	Description
Installation
Motif Installation GUI	A new GUI--used to install Solaris software.
OpenWindows
Expanded Localization (OpenWindows 3.4)	Added to the operating system are four European languages and four Asian languages, as well as Latin American Spanish and U.S. English, for desktop and workgroup server product configurations.
Graphics
Transparent Overlays	A graphics API that enables temporary graphical imagery in application windows.
XIL 1.2 Imaging Library Runtime Environment	A foundation imaging library, suitable for libraries or applications requiring imaging or digital video, such as document imaging, color prepress, or digital video generation and playback.
PEX 2.2 Runtime Environment	An API that provides application portability across platforms and 3-D graphics rendering on local and remote displays.
XGL 3.1 Runtime Environment	A 2-D and 3-D immediate-mode API that provides portability across hardware platforms and optimal performance from graphics acceleration.
Direct Xlib^TM 3.1	A graphics application that uses the DGA Drawable Interface and supports systems with multiple frame buffers. Provides modified versions of the standard X11 libraries to accelerate Xlib rendering performance.
Hardware
Enhanced Hardware Support	A wider range of new hardware configurations are supported.
Miscellaneous
AccessX Enabling Technology	Provides people with disabilities with a variety of keyboard modifications.
OSF/Motif Runtime Environment	Used to run Motif applications.
Image Tool Enhancements	Functionality was enhanced so the user can read Kodak images from a PhotoCD disc using Image Tool.

Solaris 2.3 Release

Table 2-5 lists the features that were added in the Solaris 2.3 release.

Table 2-5 New Features in Solaris 2.3


Features	Description
Networking
PPP	An asynchronous implementation of the standard data link level point-to-point protocol (PPP), included in the Internet protocol suite, that enables communications links using modems and telephone lines.
NIS+	Three additional scripts to enable the user to more easily set up a NIS+ domain.
File Systems
autofs	A new kernel virtual file system that supports automatic mounting of file systems.
Cache File System (CacheFS)	A nonvolatile caching mechanism to improve performance of certain file systems by using a small, fast, local disk.
System Administration
Serial Port Manager	A tool that enables the user to quickly set up and modify serial port software for terminals and modems.
Graphics
Direct Xlib 3.0	The first release of Direct Xlib to utilize MIT DDX (device-dependent X) loadable modules to perform X11 graphics rendering.
PEX Runtime Environment (RTE)	An implementation of the MIT PEX specification that is an extension of the X Window System to support 3-D graphics.
XGL Runtime Environment	A 2-D and 3-D immediate-mode API that provides portability across hardware platforms and optimal performance from graphics acceleration.

Solaris 2.2 Release

Table 2-6 lists the features that were added in the Solaris 2.2 release.

Table 2-6 New Features in Solaris 2.2


Features	Description
Installation
User Installation Interfaces	User interfaces that make it easy to install and upgrade Solaris software.
System Administration
Volume Management	Software that automatically mounts and unmounts CDs and diskettes.
OpenWindows
Enhanced OpenWindows Environment	OpenWindows enhancements include Image Tool, an improved Properties Tool, integrated international capabilities, and many ease-of-use improvements.
Graphics
XIL 1.0 Imaging Library Runtime Environment	Imaging library runtime environment to use with imaging and video applications developed with the XIL 1.0 Imaging Library Software Developer's Kit.
XGL Runtime Environment	A 2-D and 3-D immediate-mode API that provides portability across hardware platforms and optimal performance from graphics acceleration.
Miscellaneous
Multithreaded Library Interface	An interface that provides developers with access to multithreaded applications.
AnswerBook Improvements	New AnswerBook administrator's utility, `ab_admin(1)`, a library-based user interface that enables easy access to AnswerBook sets located over networks.