There's a new release of OpenSolaris out - OpenSolaris 2008.11 - out a whole three weeks before the end of 2008.

There was a 2008.05 release, aka Project Indiana, in May but that wasn't as commercial or production-oriented as this one.

Both run only on x86 machines, not Sun's own Sparc chip - at least not yet.

New features in 2008.11 include Time Slider, a Gnome GUI that makes Sun's not-for-the-uninitiated Zettabyte File System (ZFS) functionality, like instant data snapshots, available to all users.

Then there's Distribution Constructor so users can build their own custom software stack depending on how they're going to use the thing and a storage feature called Comstar Storage Framework that lets developers create an open storage server.

And there's an automated installer that allows a lights-out install over a network rather than a local CD.

The widgetry also includes OpenOffice 3, Firefox 3, NetBeans 6.5 and - good heavens - the NetBeans-opposing Eclipse IDE.

OpenSolaris 2008.11 is supposed to fully support Intel's newfangled next-generation multi-core Nehalem processors and chipsets with their integrated memory controllers and AMD-like QuickPath interconnects.