Linux in the news

Open-source divorce for Apple's Safari? (ZDNet)

ZDNet covers the disconnect between Apple and the KHTML developers. "The suggestion, which KHTML developers said they were unlikely to accept, comes as Apple tries to quell rising dissatisfaction among the original architects of KHTML. Two years after hailing Apple as a white knight, those developers are calling the relationship between their group and the computer maker a 'bitter failure.' In a conflict some call emblematic of what can go wrong when corporations embrace open-source projects, developers are airing longstanding gripes against Apple, accusing the computer maker of taking more than it gives back to the open-source group."

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A Prior Art How To (Groklaw)

Groklaw covers the Patent Law How To on finding prior art. " Patent law is a legal speciality, and it's not my speciality, so I've been asking lawyers in the field to help us. The help is now here, and there will be more coming. The important point is this: searching for prior art isn't quite as simple as you might think. PubPat's Executive Director Dan Ravicher explains the difference: "To be worthwhile, the prior art has to be exactly the same or any differences between it and the targeted patent have to fall within the judicially narrowed concept of obviousness that exists in patent law today, which is much, much less than what most reasonable technologists would consider obvious.""

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Dell founder dons Red Hat (Vnunet)

Vnunet looks into a 2004 investment by Michael Dell in Red Hat. "Billionaire Michael Dell, founder of the world's largest computer manufacturer, and a stalwart of the Windows/Intel alliance, has made a $99.5m investment in Linux vendor Red Hat. The investment was made in January 2004 through Michael Dell's investment company MSD Capital, according to an SEC filing."

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EU plans for software patents hit fresh obstacle (FT)

The Financial Times catches up with the European patent directive as it goes back to the Parliament for consideration. "The latest attempt to introduce a more restrictive regime comes from Michel Rocard, a Socialist member of the European parliament. The former French prime minister has been charged with steering the law through parliament. According to his draft amendments, which have been seen by the Financial Times, patents should not be granted for 'the treatment, the manipulation, the representation and the presentation of information through software'." (Thanks to Philip Webb).

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A Modest Proposal (law.com)

Here's a Law.com article discussing a patent reform proposal which is expected to be submitted to the U.S. Congress in the near future. This reform does not come close to solving the patent problem, but it could make life harder for litigation companies. "The most contentious proposal -- intended to undercut the power of patent-holding companies -- would limit the ability of a patentee to get an injunction against an alleged infringer. Courts would have to consider whether the patentee is likely to suffer irreparable harm in deciding whether to grant an injunction. Specifically, courts would look at whether the patent holder is commercializing his or her invention."

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Who Will Own Ideas? (Technology Review)

The June issue of the Technology Review is concerned with intellectual property issues. Among others, there is an article by Lawrence Lessig inspired by what he has seen in Brazil. "So the U.S. calls them pirates, and they reform their ways--not by more faithfully buying our products, but by finding ways to remain creative without infringing our rights. This is free software 'ported'--as software engineers say--to free culture, and it inspires all the hype typical of such movements. 'We're hoping,' the leader of the free-software lab explained, 'everybody is going to start producing their own media content and then they won't have to watch TV anymore.'"

There is also a Linux v. Microsoft story in this issue: "This because for all its flaws, the open-source model has powerful advantages. The deepest and also most interesting of these advantages is that, to put it grossly, open source takes the bullshit out of software."

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Sun's Gosling: Already Plenty of Java 'Harmony' Under the Sun (DevX)

DevX talks with James Gosling about the Harmony project and other Java topics. "The 'clear need' that [Geir] Magnusson cites is anything but clear to Gosling, who says Sun has received negative response from the enterprise development community regarding the idea of open-source Java. 'We've got several thousand man-years of engineering in Java, and we hear very strongly that if this thing turned into an open source project--where just any old person could check in stuff--they'd all freak. They'd all go screaming into the hills.'"

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MusE: MIDI Sequencing for Linux (O'ReillyNet)

O'ReillyNet talks with the developers of MusE, a MIDI and audio sequencer intended to be a complete multi-track virtual studio. "Frank Neumann, a 36-year-old computer scientist from Karlsruhe, Germany, and one of the developers of MusE, sums up the current state of music production applications for Linux: "It's always a nice warm feeling when you show an application like MusE to people and they just go, 'Whoa--I didn't know Linux audio stuff was already this far!'""

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Wind River's Linux transformation (ZDNet)

ZDNet interviews Ken Klein, CEO of Wind River Systems. "Q: What has Wind River been, and what is it becoming? Klein:We were closed and narrow in terms of our partnerships. We were taking a very adversarial approach toward Linux. We've turned 180 degrees. We're viewing Linux as incremental to our business. In set-top boxes, Linux is a great fit."

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Inside YAPC::NA 2005 (O'Reilly)

chromatic interviews Richard Dice on O'Reilly. "The Perl Foundation organizes and holds several community-based Perl conferences each year. This year's North American conference, YAPC::NA 2005 is in Toronto, Canada, June 27-29. chromatic recently interviewed Richard Dice, organizer of the conference this year, to discuss his plans and experiences."

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The Daemon, the GNU and the Penguin, Ch. 8 (Groklaw)

Groklaw has published chapter 8 of the online book "The Daemon, the GNU and the Penguin" by Peter Salus. This chapter looks at Richard Stallman's early history. "I have quoted Richard at length, because I think that his "voice" should be heard. He has frequently said that "Software wants to be free." But in 1982 and 1983 his was a single, lonely voice."

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The Daemon, the GNU and the Penguin, by Dr. Peter H. Salus - Errata (Groklaw)

Peter H. Salus provides some errata on the Groklaw series The Daemon, the GNU and the Penguin. "One of the "problems" of writing is that your readership can be quite notable. I have received clarifying comments from two of the major "participants.""

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Linux in Government: Optimizing Desktop Performance, Part I (Linux Journal)

Tom Adelstein offers tips and tweaks for Linux desktop optimization. "In this article, we look at the Linux desktop in a slightly different light. We think of it as a computer system that maximizes its strength as a consumer product. When we optimize Linux for the consumer, it becomes a fast interface. If you have complained about the speed of OpenOffice.org or Firefox or about the amount of time Linux takes to boot up, this set of optimizations should change your perception. Linux can boot up quickly, the word processor can spring open and the browser can fly. So, let's make these adjustments so your computer can fly."

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Researchers speed, optimize code with new open source tools (NewsForge)

NewsForge covers automatic code generation with SPIRAL. "[Blue Gene Systems Architect Jose] Moreira said SPIRAL does, in fact, represent a new generation of self-optimizing scientific libraries, also emphasizing the importance that it be open source. "The fact that SPIRAL uses an automated approach to code optimization results in scientific libraries that can be highly optimized to each specific architecture, including Blue Gene/L," he said. "It is very important to us that all potential IBM customers can have access to SPIRAL and the generated scientific libraries.""

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At the Sounding Edge: Introducing seq24 (Linux Journal)

Dave Phillips reviews seq24 on Linux Journal. "In this month's column, we look at the seq24 MIDI sequencer to see how you can use it in a Linux-based MIDI music production system. Given working ALSA and JACK installations, this system is easy to set up and use, great fun and a valuable production tool."

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Linux Community Implodes (PC Magazine)

We'll get grief for this but...here's the latest bizarre Dvorak piece in PC Magazine. "I can tell you this much: Normal people do not like being associated with fanatics and lunatics. Once Linux gets the image as the OS for the criminally insane, it's a dead duck. Unless the community gets a handle on this, grows up, and rebukes the extremists, the trash heap of history is where this is all headed." The weirdest part is that he is talking about the response to Maureen O'Gara.

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