From: Greg Rice <grice@accesspr.com> To: "'LWN@LWN.NET'" <LWN@LWN.NET> Subject: OSDN Releases freshmeat II Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 09:13:30 -0800 The Open Source Development Network (OSDN), a division of VA Linux Systems today unveiled freshmeat II, a major enhancement of freshmeat, the largest index of Linux and Open Source software on the web. Many of the new features in freshmeat II expand the ability of the site's users to customize their personal accounts in ways that make it easier and faster to find what they want and communicate with each other. Please see the press release below for further details. Please contact a member of the VA Linux/OSDN team with any questions: Chris Loncto, 917.522.3524, cloncto@accesspr.com Randee Seligsohn, 917.522.3512, rseligsohn@accesspr.com OPEN SOURCE DEVELOPMENT NETWORK UNVEILS FRESHMEAT II Major Features Enhancement of Web's Largest Index of Linux and Open Source Software ACTON, MA - January 30, 2001 - The Open Source Development Network (OSDN.com), a division of VA Linux Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: LNUX), today announced the highly anticipated release of freshmeat II, the result of a year-long development effort to enhance freshmeat.net. Founded in 1997, freshmeat.net (http://freshmeat.net/) is the largest index of Linux and Open Source software on the Web. With thousands of applications meticulously catalogued in the freshmeat database and links to new code added daily, freshmeat.net is the first stop for users hunting for the software they need. freshmeat.net is well known for providing the latest news on new Open Source software releases, as well as extensive archives of project release histories, links and spirited discussion and commentary. Many of the new features in freshmeat II expand the ability of the site's users to customize their personal accounts in ways that make it easier and faster to find what they want and communicate with each other. Among the most important advances are: ? Filtering and email notification. freshmeat II makes it easier for users to track the software they want by filtering out specific categories of software by application type and/or release priority. Users can also receive email notification of software updates and user commentary. ? Improved ease of use. Submitting software for inclusion on freshmeat.net is easier than ever, thanks to refinements in freshmeat's administration and maintenance interfaces. freshmeat II also introduces screenshots, public and private user pages and extended search capabilities. * Easier communication and real-time feedback. Threaded comments and instant messaging allow users to send notes to each other. * Branches and improved categorization. Projects in the freshmeat database can be split into branches (e.g., "stable" vs. "development"). freshmeat II has adopted the Trove categorization system, which will make it easier for freshmeat.net to work with SourceForge.net, the world's largest ASP for Open Source development, as well as other archives using Trove. * Expanded statistics. The freshmeat statistics page now tracks the top 20 projects by hit count and the top 20 users by logins, in addition to many other useful numbers. "Thanks to the feature requests and enthusiastic feedback from our readers and contributors, freshmeat.net now provides a much more powerful toolset," said Patrick "scoop" Lenz, founder of freshmeat.net. "We hope that by making freshmeat II even easier to use, we encourage more developers to release early and often." OSDN's Linux Kernel Month on freshmeat.net In addition to the launch of freshmeat II, freshmeat.net kicks off the month of February with weekly features on Linux kernel-related issues, as part of OSDN's Linux Kernel Month. Highlights will include: "2.4: What's in it for me?" by freshmeat.net editor Jeff Covey; a behind-the-scenes look at how Linux distributions prepare for major kernel releases; and an in-depth discussion of journaling file systems for Linux. Further information on OSDN's Linux Kernel Month activities is available at The Kernel Bazaar at http://osdn.com/bazaar/linuxkernel/. Information on how to sponsor Linux Kernel Month and future OSDN Technology Months is available via email at sponsorship@osdn.com. About OSDN OSDN (Open Source Development Network), a division of VA Linux Systems, Inc., is the leading Linux and Open Source destination on the Internet. OSDN is a network and community outreach organization committed to accelerating Open Source software development, which also serves as a gateway for individuals and organizations worldwide to understand and join this revolution. Serving 100 million page impressions to more than 4 million users each month, OSDN includes the leading Open Source sites for news, information and discussion (Slashdot, NewsForge and Linux.com), the largest sites for collaborative Open Source development and support (SourceForge.net and QuestionExchange), the most popular sites for Open Source software distribution (freshmeat.net and Themes.org), online shopping for technical enthusiasts (ThinkGeek), a new print publication (Open magazine), and community discussion forums and personalized content on OSDN.com. Certain statements in this press release, including statements about future growth in Open Source software development and future features, functionality and growth of freshmeat.net, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different from expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of VA Linux and OSDN to attract and retain qualified personnel; industry trends related to Open Source and Linux; and other risks detailed in VA Linux's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which may be accessed through the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. Note: VA Linux Systems, "Open Source Development Network (OSDN)", SourceForge, Slashdot, freshmeat.net, QuestionExchange, ThinkGeek, and NewsForge are trademarks of VA Linux Systems, Inc. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Contact: Randee Seligsohn Chris Loncto Access Communications Access Communications (917)522-3512 (917)522-3524 rseligsohn@accesspr.com cloncto@accesspr.com ### 30-Jan-01