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Linux and business


Creative Labs has released a driver for the SB Live card, and, even better, it is licensed under the GPL. SB Live users have been a long-suffering group; Creative initially did not want to support Linux at all, then released a buggy, binary-only driver that was not updated for a long time. So it is nice to see that they have now come around and made source code available. Even if the new driver works no better than the old one did, fixes should be available in a short period of time.

Alan Cox has already looked over the driver and sent back suggestions for improvements. He has also indicated that it will go off to Linus shortly for inclusion in the mainline kernel source.

With luck, Creative will see the just results from releasing this driver: now that SB Live cards will be properly supported under Linux, Linux users will start buying them. Creative is a hardware company, it has everything to gain by having its hardware be properly supported under Linux. Congratulations and thanks are due to Creative - better late than never. (See Creative's open source page for (a little) more information and downloads).

The Cobalt Networks initial public offering should happen on Friday, November 5. This IPO will be the first indication of how well the "Linux mania" carries over into the more hardware-oriented side of the business. Here's a press release about it.

LinuxOne has a product, which was actually released ahead of LinuxOne's intended IPO. Here is the press release for "LinuxOne Lite," a UMSDOS-based distribution which runs under Windows. It is presented as an easy way for Windows users to try out and experiment with Linux without having to go through a full installation.

LinuxOne Lite thus competes with other products, like WinLinux. It remains to be seen, however, whether there is really much of a market for "Linux over Windows" products. Meanwhile, this version of the operating system has certain limitations - such as the fact that it can not access the Internet - which will probably obstruct its widespread acceptance. It is not yet clear that LinuxOne has a compelling product to justify its IPO ambitions.

Those wishing to try out the product can find it on this slow FTP site. One wonders if it is really necessary, however, to download a 60MB swap file...

The Red Hat Center for Open Source. Red Hat has announced the creation of the "Red Hat Center for Open Source," a non-profit organization that "...will sponsor, support, promote and engage in a wide range of scientific and educational projects intended to advance the social principles of open source for the greater good of the general public." Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the announcement was the naming of John Seely Brown, a respected researcher and Xerox Chief Scientist, to the board of directors. Mr. Brown should bring an interesting voice to this center as it figures out what it is really doing.

Press Releases:

    Products for Linux:

  • Applix, Inc. announced that Applixware Office for Linux 4.4.2 has won a Linux Magazine Cool Product Award.

  • AutoGraph International is demonstrating its commitment to the Linux community through their EasyCopy suite of products.

  • CoolKeyboards Corporation announced that the 'Linux Cool Keyboard' is available from Atipa Linux Solutions.

  • Essential Communications announced the availability of a Linux driver for its PCI host bus adapter based on the High Performance Parallel Interface (HIPPI 800) standard.

  • Fujitsu Siemens Computers presented RMS (Reliant Monitor Software) for Linux.

  • Model Technology Inc. announced that ModelSim EE and SE will be available for the Linux operating system in VHDL, Verilog, and mixed HDL configurations.

  • MSC.NASTRAN is now now available for Linux. "To cater to a growing Linux-using customer base, MSC.Software recently introduced a Linux version of the world's most widely used finite element analysis (FEA) program -- MSC.Nastran."

  • On Channel has announced another embedded Linux distribution: OS2000. They make some interesting claims about it, too: "ON Channel's OS2000 is the only commercially available embedded Linux OS currently shipping to OEMs and VARs."

  • O'Reilly & Associates published "Learning Debian/GNU Linux" by Bill McCarty.

  • TheLinuxStore.com, a division of EBIZ Enterprises, Inc., announced a strategic re-design and re-launch of their Internet web site www.TheLinuxStore.com.

  • White Pine Software, Inc. announced availability for its MeetingPoint conference server for Linux in December of this year.

  • Xi Graphics, Inc. announced support for the dual-monitor feature of the Matrox Millenium G400 DualHead Display graphics card. The support is available for use with Xi Graphics' Multi-head Accelerted-X Display Server. Xi Graphics has also announced a 33% price reduction of the Multi-head Server Version 5.

    Events:

  • EarthWeb announced that IBM has become a platinum sponsor and cornerstone partner of The Bazaar, a three day Open Source Software conference and exhibition in New York City beginning on December 14, 1999. GNU/Linux and Apache are featured topics.

  • The Linux-Mandrake folks have announced that they will have a booth at the Linux Business Expo, being held alongside Comdex in Las Vegas, November 15-19.

  • LinuxStart.Com will be giving away free T-Shirts at Comdex. There's also a couple of computer giveaways. Details

  • Here's a press release from Ziff Davis about COMDEX and the Linux Business Expo.

  • Ziff-Davis and Kaplan Career Services will host a Kaplan Hiring Fair at COMDEX/Fall '99.

    Red Hat Linux Related Releases:

  • Digi International, Inc. announced that it has joined with Red Hat in its Developer Partnership Program.

  • Enlighten Software Solutions, Inc. announced EnlightenDSM version 3.4 will be available to support Red Hat Linux version 6.0 and version 6.1.

  • Intel Corporation will bundle the Red Hat Linux operating system with the server platforms it markets through its recently created Internet Service Provider programme.

  • KeyStone Learning Systems introduced a new 16-hour training course for Red Hat Linux, available on video and CD-ROM.

  • Photodex Corporation and Red Hat, Inc. announced their partnership to provide CompuPic Digital Content Manager software for the Red Hat Linux operating system.

  • As predicted, Red Hat has announced commercial support for apache and sendmail, and for the postfix mailer as well.

  • VERITAS Software Corporation and Red Hat, Inc. announced that the Companies are collaborating to accelerate the availability of enterprise-class VERITAS Software application storage management solutions on Red Hat Linux.

  • WaveTech Networks Inc. chooses Red Hat Linux 6.1 for their OS needs.

    Products that also come in Linux:

  • Agilent Technologies, Inc. announced three new Fibre Channel connectivity products that eclipse the 2 gigabit-per-second (Gb/s) performance level.

  • Ancor Communications Inc. introduced its new SANbox series of Fibre Channel switches.

  • Bitstream Inc. announced it is shipping Font Fusion, the company's most advanced font rasterizing engine.

  • Centura Software Corporation announced the release of Raima Database Manager (RDM) version 5.0. Source code is available.

  • DataDirect Networks offered access to select SAN products through its Web site at www.datadirectnet.com.

  • Norpath, Inc. introduced Norpath Elements, the professional's interactive authoring solution for creating powerful web-based diagrams, animations, and simulations.

  • NVIDIA Corporation announced the Quadro workstation GPU, the newest member of the company's family of graphics processors.

  • Object UK announced Together/J Version 3 is now available.

  • Perle Specialix announced the Speed4 and Speed4+, two 4-port PCI host cards.

  • Scriptics announced the availability of Tcl Blend and Jacl 1.2.5.

  • Sybase, Inc. announced the availability of SQL Anywhere Studio for Workgroups.

  • Synergetic Data Systems, Inc. announced the release of UnForm v4.0.

  • Zero G Software announced the availability of InstallAnywhere Enterprise Edition.

    Partnerships, Investments and Acquisitions:

  • Cobalt Networks, Inc. announced that Allegiance Telecom, Inc. has selected the Cobalt RaQ 2 server appliance to provide dedicated Web hosting services to Allegiance Telecom customers. The Cobalt RaQ 2 comes with Linux pre-installed.

  • Ebiz Enterprises (which runs TheLinuxStore.com) has announced the acquisition of JustLinux.com.

  • Enlighten Software Solutions, Inc. announced that it has executed a strategic Software Development and License Agreement with a provider of systems management software. Pursuant to the agreement, Enlighten will license technology to provide management for leading Linux platforms (Red Hat, Caldera, TurboLinux).

  • GraphOn Corporation announced a deal with Minmetals Townlord Information Technology, Inc. to distribute its "Bridges" software in China. Bridges is intended to allow running (server-based) Linux applications on old Windows PC's, of which China has many.

    More Companies Announce Third Quarter Reports:

  • Ariel Corp.

  • Enlighten Software Solutions, Inc.

  • Insignia Solutions

  • Navarre Corporation

    Other:

  • API announced it has contributed Alpha-based systems to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) for the Pants Application Node Transparency System (PANTS) in support of on-going Alpha Linux development.

  • MandrakeSoft has put out a press release naming some of the high-profile commercial users of Linux-Mandrake.

  • OpenDesk.com sent in a description of the Virtual Workspace they are providing for people at their new site. "Organizations of any size - from local hockey teams to franchise stores - can use this space to collaborate on projects, coordinate schedules and build relationships. Even organizations whose members are distributed across the globe can come together in this secure virtual workspace."

  • Oracle plans to re-enter the network computing market by creating a new company that will sell an alternative to the desktop PC. The device will contain an Intel processor, run the Linux operating system, and use the Netscape Communications Web browser.

  • ProSyst Software GmbH has joined the Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGI).

  • The QuestionExchange announced a "name your price" support scheme, wherein people with open source questions and answers can find each other and work out a mutually acceptable payment for the services.

  • TrustWorks Systems announced that it is offering components of its Trusted Security Suite as open source code.

Section Editor: Jon Corbet.


November 4, 1999

 

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