Jeos: Canonical's virtualization-specific Ubuntu Linux
SAN FRANCISCO--Ubuntu sponsor Canonical announced a version of its Linux software stripped down for use just on virtualized environments.
The version, called Jeos for Just Enough Operating System and pronounced "juice," is now available, Canonical announced here at the VMworld conference Tuesday.
The version is intended to be a more compact and higher-performance foundation for virtual machine "appliances" that bundle the operating system with higher-level software. Virtualization lets operating systems and higher-level software run in compartments called virtual machines, and those VMs can be stopped, started, saved to disk and moved from one computer to another.
At VMworld, software maker Business Objects demonstrated an appliance built atop Jeos, the company said.
In other news of partnerships between the virtualization and open-source realms, VMware announced a project called Open Virtual Machine Tools. The open-source code can be used to improve the performance and features of virtual machines, according to the company.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
