Sun Microsystems has released an update to its Solaris operating system that incorporates, for the first time, the Gnome open-source graphical interface.

The overhaul of Sun's version of Unix, announced on Tuesday, now allows people to choose Gnome instead of the Common Desktop Environment (CDE) interface that has been part of the software for years.

The open-source Gnome project was founded to bypass CDE, which relies on technology with proprietary restrictions to build graphical elements such as windows with buttons and menus. Though the controller of the CDE technology, the Open Group, is now embracing open-source principles, Sun decided to move to Gnome.

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