vCenter Server 4.0 will run on Linux
VMwares vSphere 4.0 (it’s new name
for ESX) , the new product line from VMware, will be running under
Linux. The information came to me from virtualization.info blog from Alessandro Perilli. There was already quite a lot of features announced concerning the ESX Server 4.0 before, like that:
64bit kernel and console operating system (COS)
clustered VirtualCenter Servers
ESX hosts profile management
cross-hosts virtual networking
8-way virtual SMP
virtual machines fault tolerance across multiple hosts (Fault tolerance, ee the video here)
VMs and media library
alarms on physical hardware faults
access control on storage resources
configuration change tracking
full support for SATA local storage
But this announce is a great info for users prefering Linux instead the proprietary VMware Console.
The abstract of a VMworld Europe 2009 session:
<div class="fontBold">DC08 - vCenter Server for Linux</div><div class="fontNormal">Customer demand for vCenter Server running on Linux has been astounding. While the majority of the Code is inherently
cross
platform, getting vCenter Server to run on Linux in a manner compatible
with the current set of features has its own set of challenges. This
presentation will discuss
the issues of cross platform development for vCenter, including issues
regarding internationalization support, database support, multi-vCenter
support, and image customization. The talk will conclude with a live
demonstration of the latest development version of vCenter Server
running on Linux.</div>
Ken is correct, vSphere is the generic umbrella name, kinda like "Virtual Infrastructure", but that doesnt mean that it wont be included in product names.
Keep in mind, exact naming conventions in documentation and as it appears in UI can change from beta to final release. It is not uncommon for VMware to have a mix of old/new names all over the place during betas.
If I wasnt under NDA I would send you a screen shot clearly showing the name "VMware ESXi 4.0.0" woops, did I just say that 
but like I said, who knows what everything is going to look like when the final product launches.
Don Pomeroy
VMware Communities User Moderator
If I wasnt under NDA I would send you a screen shot clearly showing the name "VMware ESXi 4.0.0"
(previous NDA entries are invisible) -- insert jedi mind trick
OK, we didn't see it, the VM Forums are so well moderated that by the time you hit submit any names not included in the acceptable VM dictionary is automatically 'whited out' and people are prevented from seeing things they shouldn't see so you are good 
