Ximian Releases New Red Carpet Client to Enhance Linux Software Management Functionality
Version 2.0 Improves User Interface and Allows Integration with Red Carpet Enterprise Deployments
BOSTON -- May 15, 2003 -- Ximian, Inc., the leading provider of desktop and server solutions enabling enterprise Linux adoption, today announced the availability of Red Carpet™ 2.0, a new version of its desktop client software that allows users to manage Linux software installed on workstations and servers. Users will benefit from a streamlined user interface, powerful new functionality for finding installed packages and recording installation history, and the ability to manage software on systems other than their own. With the new features, XimianŽ customers will be able to deploy more flexible software management solutions that reduce the total cost of Linux installations.
Red Carpet version 2.0 incorporates the Red Carpet Daemon, which can integrate installed machines into larger Linux software management solutions. Running in the background, Red Carpet Daemon scans the Linux applications and packages installed on a system. It automatically resolves software dependencies and monitors for and detects conflicts when a user intends to install new software using the Red Carpet graphical client interface. This integration enables end users or administrators to perform remote updates using Red Carpet on any Red Carpet Daemon-installed system.
The new Red Carpet client's use of Red Carpet Daemon provides flexibility to systems administrators using Ximian products to manage large numbers of Linux systems. Administrators using Red Carpet Enterprise™ from Ximian can easily add desktop machines running the new Red Carpet client to the systems they are managing. Red Carpet Enterprise is a powerful server-based solution deployed entirely behind the corporate firewall that provides customers with centralized software management and version control for servers and workstations. Red Carpet Enterprise uses Red Carpet Daemon to remotely administer Linux machines, provide automatic scheduled software updates and more.
For example, a company might be using Red Carpet Enterprise to monitor and manage software on dozens or hundreds of Linux servers. Those administrators could easily add Linux desktops running Red Carpet version 2.0 to the Red Carpet Enterprise deployment. In this way, the new version of the Red Carpet client can now be part of a larger software management solution that includes Red Carpet Enterprise and any number of enterprise Linux workstations and servers.
"Ximian has been the clear leader in providing enterprise software management solutions that help organizations realize cost savings through the deployment of Linux," said David Patrick, president and CEO of Ximian. "Red Carpet 2.0 not only adds powerful new end user features for Linux software updating, but enables tight integration with our Red Carpet Enterprise software management offering used by Amerada Hess, Lycos, Met Office and many other corporate customers."
The De Facto Standard for Linux Software Management
With hundreds of thousands of users performing over a million software updates monthly, Red Carpet is a software management solution that efficiently and securely keeps Linux systems up-to-date. Its intuitive software channels and automatic dependency and conflict resolution let users easily install, update and maintain software over the Internet from Ximian, leading Linux distribution providers and a growing library of other third-party independent software vendors (ISVs). Especially important for mixed computing environments, Red Carpet uniquely provides multi-platform support, updating systems running a broad range of Linux distributions, including those from Red Hat, SuSE, Mandrake and more.
Red Carpet version 2.0 also includes a series of enhancements for systems administrators who allow their employees to update their own workstations. In addition to a dramatically improved user interface, Red Carpet version 2.0 features new search functionality for users to rapidly find installed and newly available packages. A history capability tracks installs, updates, removals and other activity initiated by Red Carpet users. In addition, a new command-line interface allows users to perform or script the same actions as the graphical client, including initiating updates, subscribing to software channels and searching for installed packages.
Pricing and Availability
Red Carpet version 2.0 is available immediately and is offered under the open source GPL license. Existing Red Carpet users can install the new version by subscribing to the Red Carpet channel through their existing Red Carpet client software. New users may freely download and install Red Carpet version 2.0 by visiting the Ximian web site at www.ximian.com and clicking the "Download" link.
Red Carpet version 2.0 is available on a variety of Linux distributions, including:
About Ximian, Inc.
Ximian is the leading provider of desktop and server solutions enabling enterprise Linux adoption. Ximian products, in use by over 1,000,000 people worldwide, provide the interoperability, management functionality and ease of use required to integrate Linux users and systems into mixed corporate computing environments. Ximian offers both a complete Linux desktop environment and productivity application suite and enterprise software management solutions to dramatically reduce the cost of deploying and maintaining Linux systems. Ximian founders are pioneers of the open source GNOME and Mono projects. The company has secured funding from leading venture firms Charles River Ventures and Battery Ventures. It can be reached at www.ximian.com.