Illumosderived

illumosderived refers to software, projects, or components that are derived from the illumos project, the open-source continuation of Solaris. The term is used to describe code and distributions that trace their lineage to illumos and share its core technologies.

illumos originated as a community-driven fork after changes to Solaris were made available as open source. illumos preserves kernel and userland concepts from Solaris, and many derived projects reuse the illumos codebase while adapting packaging, governance, or distribution goals. This lineage emphasizes compatibility with a Solaris-inspired toolchain and ecosystem.

Common characteristics of illumosderived work include compatibility with Solaris-derived userland tools, access to technologies associated with the illumos lineage, and a packaging and update model that reflects its heritage. Licenses are typically free and open, often under the CDDL or compatible terms, with distributions sometimes adapting licensing to their own governance needs.

Notable examples of illumosderived distributions and projects include OmniOS, OpenIndiana, and SmartOS. The term illumosderived is used in documentation and community discussions to indicate lineage and interoperability within the broader illumos ecosystem, helping users and developers assess compatibility, support, and available tooling across related projects.