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Linux in the newsRecommended Reading Is Microsoft Really Less Expensive Than Linux? (CIO)CIO comments on the Giga Group study claiming that .Net is cheaper than Linux and J2EE for web service applications. "Of course, it's not shocking that a study commissioned by Microsoft should demonstrate the advantages of that company's products over Linux, but the fact that the study was commissioned at all is revealing of the big company's concern. The popularity of Linux - fueled by fear of placing too much control in the hands of a single (notoriously aggressive) vendor and by the widespread conviction that open source software can save you a bucket of money - is rising like the waters of the flood toward the software fortress that Gates built."
Linux, Threatened (rediff.com)This article at rediff.com takes a look at Linux and current battles. "Microsoft is feeling the heat from Linux, as the free operating system is improving by leaps and bounds. Unix itself, which could, at one time, have stopped the Microsoft juggernaut in its tracks, was doomed by a schism in the ranks, which pitted Sun Microsystems and AT&T against IBM, DEC, HP, etc. I was in the thick of that battle, and I now see we were irresponsible to fight internecine battles, trying to push our own versions of Unix, while Microsoft ran away with the prize: control over the desktop, and the untold billions that comes with it." (Thanks to Anand Rangarajan)
Trade Shows and Conferences Red Hat, Oracle Strengthen Bond (eWeek)eWeek goes to OracleWorld to see what Red Hat and Oracle are up to. "Although there is as yet no official agreement between the companies about working together on Enterprise Linux 4, Red Hat officials confirmed that work has already begun on that product, which will be based on the Linux 2.6 kernel..."
The SCO Problem SCO's McBride on his open letter to the Linux community (ComputerWorld)ComputerWorld interviews Darl McBride on his open letter. "Yes, it is an olive branch. We want to understand how we can move forward together here. Both sides are entrenched in their positions. This could be a 15-year knockdown, drag-out type of fight. At another level, if there's a way of resolving the differences so we move along peacefully in a shorter term that gets resolved, we're all for that."
Companies The real future of Linux (ZDNet)ZDNet looks at Red Hat's strategy. "Many Linux advocates who are appalled by this 'money grab' by Red Hat have been very vocal about their new distaste for Red Hat. Some even go so far as to suggest that Red Hat has outlived its usefulness. But they fail to understand the importance of a healthy company like Red Hat for the entire Linux industry."
Ford move to Linux not true (NewsForge)This seems to be a week for rumors. Several alert readers have sent in links to articles that say (with a disturbing lack of detail) that Ford Motors is moving to Linux. NewsForge digs deeper. "[Communications Manager, Joan] Witte said "Like any other company, Ford Motor is looking at Linux, primarily in the application space. We presently have an enterprise-wide agreement with Microsoft to handle our collaborative solutions. We aren't contemplating using Linux in this area, and don't contemplate doing that in the foreseeable future.""
Linux Adoption Governments like open-source software, but Microsoft does not (Economist)The Economist examines reasons for governments to prefer open source. "If Microsoft is indeed squeezed out of the government sector by open-source software, three groups stand to benefit: large consultancy firms and systems integrators, such as IBM, which will be called in to devise and install alternative products; firms such as Red Hat or SuSE, which sell Linux-based products and services; and numerous small, local technology firms that can tailor open-source products for governmental users." (Thanks to James Heald)
Nine German cities poised to adopt Linux (InfoWorld)InfoWorld reports that nine (more) German cities (Alzey, Kaiserslautern, Koblenz, Landau, Mainz, Neustadt, Speyer, Trier and Worms, all in Rheinland Pfalz) are looking at switching over to Linux. "The cost of licensing Microsoft products and the lack of support for some of them, such as the NT operating system, which is still used widely in many city administrations, are among the chief reasons for the nine German cities to mull a switch from the U.S. software giant to providers of open-source products..."
Linux wins, but Microsoft rules (CIOL)CIOL (India) has an article about desktop Linux sales as a cover for use of pirated Microsoft products. "CNS investigation reveals that many a customer, who found the Linux-based machines attractive because of the price factor felt that it was not the same as a Microsoft loaded PC. So they did the next best thing and bought pirated copies of Microsoft software. While none of the vendors were willing to go on record, most of them said that they have long suspected such actions." This is the second article on this theme in a week now; coincidence?
Open source helps education effort in Third World (Mercury News)Here's a Dan Gillmor column on the use of free software in the developing world. "Around the globe, educators, companies and governments are getting tired of paying the Microsoft tax, which tends to rise inexorably, and sending the money to America. They don't like the upgrade cycle, especially when older computers run Linux just fine. They want to inspire more software innovation at home, and suspect Linux may be the best platform in a world where Microsoft also takes most of the profits in Windows application software."
Open Asia: Open source in Iran and Israel (NewsForge)NewsForge takes a look at Open source in Iran and Israel. ""It's a red herring. I challenge anyone to tell me how open source will solve any of our major problems," a prominent professor from the US recently posted on the BytesForAll_Readers mailing list. Arash Zeini of Iran had a very clear answer. "In Iran, we live under sanctions from the US. As an Iranian you cannot do any business with an American company. This may be good, it may be bad. But in any case, the only way we can empower ourselves is FLOSS. This approach gives us the necessary freedom. We have access to the best technology and it is Free/Libre/Open and not restrictive. It does not put us in chains, we do not need to wait till US decides about us. If only the Iranian government would see it this way too!""
WorldWatch Week in Review (Linux Journal)Linux Journal carries the WorldWatch Week in Review, which looks at open source news from around the world. "A lot of interesting things are going on right here in Costa Rica. For one thing, I found out that there is a legislative project for FLOSS use in government that shows a great understanding of the real issues."
Interviews Oracle's unbreakable Linux guru (NewsForge)NewsForge interviews Wim Coekaerts, Oracle's Linux guru. "Coekaerts: Right now I'm working with a lot of our `high-rent' customers, doing a lot of troubleshooting, bug fixing, and custom design work. I'm involved with a lot of the certification processes and standards groups, which means I have to travel quite a bit. I also work closely with Linux companies like Red Hat and SuSe on bug-fixing and other issues."
Interview with Havoc Pennington of Red Hat (OSNews)OSNews interviews Havoc Pennington, the head manager of Red Hat's Desktop department. "In the past (pre-SCO), Red Hat has admitted that was growing wary of patent issues that might arise in the future. Do you believe that desktop open source software written by many different individuals around the globe might be infringing on patents in some cases without the knowledge of these developers? At the end of the day, we have seen some patents that were issued so shortsightedly that many have said that writing software is almost impossible nowadays. What kind of solution for this issue might OSS software developers find, to ensure a future that is not striken by lawsuits left and right?Havoc Pennington: As you know we've been more aggressive than other Linux vendors about removing potentially patented software from our distribution, specifically we took a lot of criticism for removing mp3 support."
Interview: Linux usage raises big legal concerns (Gulf News)Gulf News interviews Mohammed Kateeb, the regional director of Microsoft Middle East. "Linux people don't believe in Intellectual Property Rights. This is the biggest problem in the Linux world. How can one be sure that the code of software that has been contributed by programmers across the world to create this Linux software is unique and is not lifted from somewhere else? This is a big legal concern. That is what the latest SCO-Linux lawsuit is all about."
The Hacker Behind "Hacking the XBox" (O'Reilly)Howard Wen interviews Bunnie Huang on O'Reilly. "Most authors can blame an editors' questionable taste for rejecting their books, but Andrew Huang has the dreaded DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) to explain why his book got turned down. Hacking the Xbox, as the title of Huang's tome sums up, details how-tos for modifying your Xbox, and provides various insights into the security and other inner-working code of Microsoft's game console."
Building a Better Game (Linux Journal)Linux Journal interviews some of the people involved with Neverwinter Nights and Shadows of Undrentide. "How many developers worked on the Linux client project?Derek French: The Linux client project was organized and managed by BioWare's Live Team. The Live Team operates as a development project and changes size on a regular basis as it takes on new objectives. The core, or permanent, Live Team is a three-member group, but it has grown to as many as 10 people when major projects are underway."
Reviews Sun's Windows killer unveiled (TheAustralian)TheAustralian looks at Sun's latest Linux product. "The Sun Java Desktop system, which was previously code-named Mad Hatter, runs on the open-source Linux operating system and includes a variety of programs that replace Microsoft's internet browser, productivity suite, and other parts of the Windows package."
Preview of Rubrica 2 (GnomeDesktop)GnomeDesktop.org has a review of Rubricka. "Rubrica is an address book for GNOME. While the application has been in existance for quite a while, Rubrica 2 is currently under development. We had a look at this development version and we give you a preview of the promising application."
Miscellaneous Indian government supports Linux (Economic Times)India's Economic Times reports on a government sponsored project to localize Linux in 11 different languages. "As part of Project Indix, the government has already released Linux in Hindi. While five more language releases is lined up for Thursday, the technology will be available in six more local languages in three or four months. The five languages lined up now are Sanskrit, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada." (Thanks to Nilesh Trivedi)
Is Linux Annoying? (O'Reilly)Paul Weinstein is collecting a list of annoying things about Linux, in order to write a book on the topic. Hopefully, the process will help to improve some of the issues that are raised. "Attentive web surfers for all things Linux have probably already noted that O'Reilly is working on a new Linux book, Linux Annoyances. Indeed O'Reilly wants to follow up its success with the Windows Annoyances books by doing one on Linux. This of course brings to mind the question, what is a Linux Annoyance?"
Page editor: Forrest Cook |
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