Linux in the news
Recommended Reading
The Grinch Who Stole Linux
On Groklaw: "The Grinch Who Stole Linux":
SCO hated Linux! The GNU Linux season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that their heads weren't screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that their shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that their bank account was two sizes too small.
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that their heads weren't screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that their shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that their bank account was two sizes too small.
Holding Up Hollywood (Forbes)
Here's a Forbes article (via Yahoo, since Forbes.com requires registration now) stating that SCO is planning to target film studios which are using Linux. "So what if the studios tell SCO to take a hike? `We're going to force people down a path,' McBride says. `They can choose licensing or litigation. If someone says they want to see a court ruling before they pay, we'll say, Fine, you're the lucky winner. We'll take you first. I'd be surprised if we make it to the end of the year without filing a lawsuit.'"
Microsoft prepares security assault on Linux (InfoWorld)
InfoWorld reports that Microsoft has a new anti-Linux campaign in the works; this one will, somehow, try to claim that Microsoft is better at fixing security problems. "In a sign that the inroads made by the Open Source community are starting to rattle the software giant, Microsoft has hired several analysts to review how fast holes are patched in the open source software and is expected to announce that Windows compares favorably."
Trade Shows and Conferences
Yet Another Rendition of Linux (Wired)
Wired reports from the Desktop Linux Conference, where Bruce Perens has announced backing for a new, desktop-oriented version of the Debian distribution. "The companies supporting UserLinux will also contribute developers to the project. In return, they'll get an operating system with unlimited seats and options for paid technical support, ideally, from a variety of competing service providers. UserLinux should be available in six months, and discs containing a consumer version of UserLinux could hit retail store shelves shortly thereafter."
Desktop Linux Conference: KDE Report (KDE.News)
George Staikos reports on the KDE presence at the Desktop Linux Conference. "We still haven't educated people enough regarding FreeQt. People who should be well educated about these things were still trying to tell me that if Trolltech is acquired, KDE would end up being a proprietary platform."
The SCO Problem
SCO lawyers promised settlement payday (News.com)
News.com looks into the money being made by the law firm representing SCO. "In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, SCO reported that it is finalizing an agreement that would pay the law firm involved in its intellectual-property suits 20 percent of any money gained via settlements. The company's lawyers would receive the same percentage of any funds received through equity financings or a sale of the company while it has litigation pending. The agreement, first detailed in The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, also stipulates that additional payments could be made to the law firm of $1 million and 400,000 shares of SCO's common stock."
IBM's Subpoenas to Analysts and Investors: Why? Why? Why? (Groklaw)
Groklaw follows the money in a look at SCO's financial dealings. The bulk of the article is a lengthy investigation into yet another SCO lawsuit: the one charging securities fraud relating to SCO's (Caldera's) IPO. This has looked like a routine dotcom IPO sleaze case, but there is, it seems, an added twist: the use of paid "analyst opinions" to inflate the value of the stock. "Of course, being accused of something isn't at all the same as being found guilty of it. But at a minimum, I think we can assume that IBM is aware of this case. and while I have no inside information, I'm guessing that this little piece of history might inspire them to be interested in talking to the current crop of analysts, in addition to whatever other reasons they might have."
SCO, IBM battle heats up (News.com)
News.com reports that SCO has sent out a new set of subpoenas. "Those include Novell; Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel; Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation; Stewart Cohen, chief executive of the Open Source Development Labs; and John Horsley, general counsel of Transmeta." It sure would be fun to be able to watch while SCO's lawyers try to depose RMS...
Linux Adoption
Microsoft Loses to Linux in Thailand Struggle (LinuxInsider)
LinuxInsider has posted an article on growing Linux sales in Thailand. "Significantly, first-time PC users in Thailand are finding the Linux Thai Language Edition easier to master than Windows."
Interviews
Linus Fields Dev Questions On the Future of Linux (OET)
OpenEnterpriseTrends.com interviews Linus Torvalds. "OET brings our readers an extended transcript of Linus' shipboard Q&A, where he responds to Linux dev questions on the future of Linux, including the status of Linux 2.6, impacts from increasing corporate (and vendor) adoption, an ever-growing kernel, and even on the pending lawsuit from SCO."
Meet OAP -- an open robot reference design project (LinuxDevices)
LinuxDevices.com talks with Dafydd Walters, project leader of the Open Automaton Project. "OAP's SourceForge-hosted Website provides circuit schematics, source code, and documentation for free download under an Open Source license, "to enable robotics enthusiasts to assemble their own intelligent mobile robot," says Walters."
Interview with George Staikos (usalug.org)
The USA Linux Users Group features an interview with George Staikos, KDE core developer and promoter. What can you expect in KDE 3.2? George says, "Speed -- We did some great optimizations in various areas of KDE. Some of note include major KJS performance enhancements (from Apple and us as well), faster loading Konqueror via the preloader, application launch time reductions, and general optimizations to the core libraries."
Resources
Customizing a Lindows MobilePC (Linux Journal)
Steve Hastings shows how to convert a Lindows MobilePC into a vanilla Debian system on LinuxJournal. "My favorite version of Linux is Debian GNU/Linux, and I wanted my eNote to run the Unstable branch of Debian. This did not require a complete reinstall because Lindows is based on Debian, and Lindows includes all the essential Debian utilities, such as apt-get. Lindows does not use these utilities but its own Click-N-Run system. Lindows.com could have easily removed those utilities, but it left them in place; that was nice."
Reviews
Moodss for monitoring (NewsForge)
NewsForge reviews Moodss, a system monitoring application. "I downloaded the Moodss tarball from the website, decompressed it, and started it up. It's that easy. The main window is deceptively simple. Great power lurks just below the surface of that mild exterior."
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