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Linux in the newsRecommended Reading How To Successfully Compete With Open Source Software (MicroISV)The MicroISV blog has some interesting thoughts on competing with open source. The author makes a closed-source application for teachers and the article looks at six areas where proprietary applications can better their open source competition. While his focus is on proprietary application developers, there is much for open source developers to consider. "However, relatively few people in the discussion mentioned B2C (Business To Consumer you know, the stuff that isnt paid for by an expense account) software, which people often tell me is doomed, doomed, doomed. Seeing as how I run a small B2C software business, and am experiencing a crushing shortage of doom, I thought I would explain why this is possible." (thanks to Patrick Spinler).
Linux companies sign Microsoft patent protection pacts (LinuxWorld)Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols investigates possible GPL violations hidden by secret Microsoft FAT patent licenses in a ComputerWorld blog. "So, while we now know there are at least 18 FAT LFN licensees, we still don't know which companies have signed such deals. This information is kept secret by Microsoft and these companies are well-aware of the open-source and legal backlash that could result from admitting to these patent deals. The most important reason why the specifics of these deals are under NDA is that any company doing a patent cross license without covering its downstream recipients, i.e. users, is a direct violation of GPLv2 section 7, and is even more explicitly a GPLv3 violation."
Trade Shows and Conferences First Free Software Conference Held in Nigeria (KDEDot)Jonathan Riddell covers the recent Nigerian FOSS conference. "The first Nigerian conference on Free and Open Source Software was held this week in Kano, Nigeria. The conference featured local speakers, consultants, network engineers, system administrators and academics, and international guests from KDE for three days at Bayero University of Kano. Over 500 students and professionals attended, filling the hall to capacity."
Companies Linux Foundation Forges Deal, Takes the Wheel at Linux.com (LinuxInsider)LinuxInsider looks at a recent deal between the Linux Foundation and SourceForge. "Both companies emphasized that the sale involved only the "Linux.com" name, not the business or its other activities conducted by SourceForge. "This is a transfer of the URL. There's some collaboration and some use of SourceForge content on the site. We are representing the site in media sales. This sits very naturally, and we are very sensitive to the community. The Linux Foundation will have day-to-day responsibility for running the Linux.com site," Jon Sobel, group president of Media for SourceForge, told LinuxInsider. The transfer of the URL is just one part of the whole relationship between the two companies."
Wind River reports strong year, lowers guidance (LinuxDevices)LinuxDevices takes a look at Wind River's fourth quarter results. "Linux sales and wins remained strong, said [CEO Ken] Klein. In addition to the 48 percent fourth-quarter growth in bookings over the previous 4Q, Linux revenues totaled 14 million, a 27 percent increase year over year. Yearly sales involving Linux were said to have totaled $65 million."
Linux at Work Midland Memorial Hospital improves operations with OpenVistaMedsphere has sent out a press release concerning a successful deployment of the open-source OpenVista EHR system. "Since the implementation of Medsphere's OpenVista electronic health record (EHR), Midland Memorial Hospital has realized a host of improved clinical results, including fewer patient deaths and medical errors and decreased infection rates, an independent case study confirms. The 2008 study was initiated by Medsphere to evaluate the effectiveness of OpenVista and was conducted by a third-party organization without Medsphere involvement." (Found on LinuxMedNews).
Resources Little Boxes: Audio Production Hardware At Studio Dave (Linux Journal)Over at Linux Journal, Dave Phillips catalogs some of the audio hardware that he uses with Linux in his studio. "Some caveats: the gear described here is oriented toward music production, not consumer audio requirements. However, Studio Dave is hardly what I would call a professional studio, so please understand that when I use the term "professional", I'm referring to the equipment, not my studio's physical plant. Also, bear in mind that features common to consumer-grade devices might not be found on equipment designed for use in audio production, so if you're looking for the best soundcard for playing MP3s and DVD surround-sound audio, these devices are not likely to be your best solutions."
Virtual Users And Domains With Postfix, Courier, MySQL And SquirrelMail (HowtoForge)HowtoForge presents a tutorial on setting up a mail server with virtual domains. "This document describes how to install a Postfix mail server that is based on virtual users and domains, i.e. users and domains that are in a MySQL database. I'll also demonstrate the installation and configuration of Courier (Courier-POP3, Courier-IMAP), so that Courier can authenticate against the same MySQL database Postfix uses."
Reviews Cisco's PostPath to Linux powered hosted email (InternetNews.com)Sean Michael Kerner takes a look at a Linux powered hosted email service from Cisco. "It will be interesting to see how the PostPath technology furthers Cisco's Linux interest as well since Cisco tends not to do things on a small scale. A large Linux powered hosted email system will no doubt result in scalability and performance improvement that could well extend behind the confines of Cisco itself and benefit the broader open source ecosystem."
Miscellaneous Bruce Perens: Is Open Source Capitalist or Communist? (Datamation)Over at Datamation, Bruce Perens takes a look at whether open source is capitalist or communist, coming to the conclusion that it is both. "First, is business capitalistic? Well, sure, you'd say. But the truth is that business rarely operates under a pure capitalist model. And especially not now. Under such a model, a bankrupt or uncompetitive business would be allowed, indeed encouraged, to die in a sort of Social Darwinism."
Page editor: Forrest Cook |
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