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Sun Microsystems plans broader backing for a version of its Solaris operating system geared for Intel processors, the server maker plans to announce Friday.
The move will restore support for a software about which Sun had given at best lukewarm signals earlier this year. By charging money for the product and its support, Sun said it will be ensure it's a money-making prospect for the company.

Sun in January said it had "deferred productization" of the newest version of Solaris for Intel, a move many took to be the death knell for the product. Sun insisted it wasn't killing the product, and indeed the company announced in it would ship Solaris 9 for Sun's LX50 server and its successors.

But the fans of Solaris on Intel remained vocal, insisting that Sun support Solaris 9 more widely, as it has done with Solaris 8 and earlier versions. Now Sun has agreed to that demand--for a price.

Solaris 9 for Intel and AMD processors will no longer be free like Solaris 8. The software will cost $99 for single-processor desktop systems and an as-yet undetermined higher price for multiprocessor servers, said Graham Lovell, director of marketing for operating systems and availability for Sun.

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