Linux in the news

What Is the X Window System (O'ReillyNet)

O'ReillyNet examines the X Window System. "One reason X has had such staying power is that from the beginning it incorporated many of the windowing capabilities that we now take for granted. These capabilities include network transparency, graphical capability, the use of a mouse, and the ability to link together a heterogeneous network of workstations from different vendors."

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Users: OSDL right to reject Windows/Linux TCO study (SearchEnterpriseLinux.com)

SearchEnterpriseLinux.com looks at flaws in Windows/Linux total cost of ownership (TCO) comparisons. "Pavlicek suggested that a study conducted by Microsoft will tend to focus on a short time frame, usually around three years. By doing this, it can emphasize the cost of migration and associated training costs while at the same time claiming zero cost for staying with Windows. The problem with this approach, in Pavlicek's opinion, is that it ignores a fundamental component of the software industry: change is constant and unavoidable."

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aKademy 2005 (KDE.News)

KDE.News covers aKademy 2005 which was held in Málaga, Spain, August 27 to 28. Here's the kick off article and the conclusion.

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Something fishy's going on (News.com)

Bruce Schneier has an article on News.com looking at a document, published by the Trusted Computing Group, on how systems with a Trusted Platform Module should be implemented. He likes that the document emphasizes the security applications, and directs implementers away from coercive implementations or those which hinder interoperability. "But there's something fishy going on. Microsoft is doing its best to stall the document, and to ensure that it doesn't apply to Vista (formerly known as Longhorn), Microsoft's next-generation operating system." (See this LWN article for background on TPM chips and how they will be supported under Linux).

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French Agriculture Ministry Migrates to Linux/Samba

The Samba project covers the French agricultural ministry's migration of 500 NT servers to a Linux and Samba environment. "Samba is handling the file and print server duties in the Mandriva setup. The article offers some insight into the French Agriculture Ministry's migration concerns and how Mandriva tried to address those concerns."

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Studios mine P2P logs to sue swappers (News.com)

News.com reports that Hollywood studios launched lawsuits against file swappers based on records found in peer-to-peer log files. "The Motion Picture Association of America said it filed 286 lawsuits against people around the United States based on information acquired from file-trading sites shut down earlier in the year. Most of those sites were hubs connecting people using the BitTorrent technology, a peer-to-peer application designed for speeding downloads of large files."

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An Interview with David Heinemeier Hansson (O'ReillyNet)

O'ReillyNet interviews David Heinemeier Hansson, the developer of Ruby on Rails. "Rails is opinionated software. It eschews placing the old ideals of software in a primary position. One of those ideals is flexibility—the notion that we should try to accommodate as many approaches as possible, that we shouldn't pass judgment on one form of development over another. Well, Rails does, and I believe that's why it works."

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People Behind KDE: Kevin Ottens (KDE.News)

KDE.News points to this People Behind KDE interview with Kévin Ottens. "I'm working on most of the newer ioslaves in KDE, namely : system:/, media:/, remote:/, and trash:/ (only helped a bit). I've developed their kicker applets counterparts. Moreover, I'm planning to be involved into Plasma, even if I'm not really active currently. And finally, I try to help with Tenor on the academic side, digging for relevant academic references."

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An Exclusive Interview with Scott Shreeve, Medsphere Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer (HIStalk)

HIStalk talks with Scott Shreeve about Medsphere. "Linux was starting to take off and we were looking at this massive application that had been highly successful in the VA's closed environment. We saw many of the successes that Linux was having. This could be the hospital's OS. We felt there was a market opportunity for a cost-effective, proven system that could be used by hospitals that couldn't afford commercial products." (Found on LinuxMedNews)

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Michal Zalewski on the Wire (O'ReillyNet)

O'ReillyNet talks with Michal Zalewski about his new book Silence on the Wire and other topics. "MZ: Who should read it? Well--if you just want to get a solid grasp of the basics, this book is not for you, at least not to accomplish this task. If you are a seasoned computer user or a developer, and want to learn to see the technology in a different way, I believe you should give SotW a try. If you are an infosec professional and want to learn more about the technology, and rediscover the fascinating world of computer mechanics, I hope you'd enjoy SotW, too."

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Building a Call Center with LTSP and Soft Phones (Linux Journal)

Michael George shows how to assemble a Linux-based phone system on Linux Journal. "Need to equip an office with terminals and phones, all on a small budget? With LTSP and KPhone, you can do it with only terminals, sound cards and headsets."

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At the Sounding Edge: Dave's Distractions (Linux Journal)

Dave Phillips has been distracted by a few audio applications, on Linux Journal. "I confess that this is the latest distraction, but it's already got me avoiding other necessary tasks. D. Michael McIntyre has been writing The Rosegarden Companion for two years, and it's easy to tell that it's been a labor of love. The author's presentation style is informal and friendly, and he definitely is knowledgeable about his subject."

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Five mistakes GNU/Linux neophytes make (Linux.com)

Linux.com has some advice for people new to Linux. "Everyone has an opinion on which GNU/Linux distribution you should start with, and most of them are inappropriate. GNU/Linux aficionados are often poor sources of distribution advice because they're too involved with advocating their favorite distro to consider new users' needs."

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Vim's newest features (Linux.com)

Linux.com takes a look at new features in Vim. "New features include multiple windows, syntax highlighting, multiple levels of undo, and color themes. All of these improvements are made possible by the use of vim plugins."

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OSDL says no to Microsoft (ZDNet)

There has been some buzz about a meeting between Microsoft's Martin Taylor and OSDL's CEO Stuart Cohen at the recent Linux World Conference & Expo. Joe Brockmeier passes on what he found out from Stuart Cohen about that meeting in his ZDNet blog. "The eWeek report notes that OSDL had only confirmed discussing the idea with Taylor, but not a final response from OSDL. After reading the eWeek story, I couldn't think of any reason why OSDL should participate -- and, for some reason, kept thinking about the fable of the frog and scorpion -- but I was curious whether OSDL was giving it serious consideration."

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Open opposition (China Daily)

China Daily covers an anti-Linux FUD campaign being run by the China Software Industry Association. "Sun Yufang, a Chinese scholar who has long been researching Linux software, says most Linux developers cannot make a living under the current business model. Most of these developers 'either have died or have focused on other businesses in past years,' Sun says."

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