See also: last week's Linux in the news page.

Linux in the news

Recommended Reading

Linus Week (Silicon.com). Silicon.com is running a week long salute to the "poster boy for open source". Not all the articles have been posted yet, but you can get a start on them now. Much of this seems like advance press for the Torvalds autobiography, Just for Fun.

Unix applications may be hurdle for Apple (News.com). According to this story, Apple's new OS X may bring in Unix converts, but also needs Unix applications. "Unix developers' interest in Mac OS X is simple: It is the first desktop, Unix-based operating system to reach the mass market. Early signs show that Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple is off to a good start in wooing Unix developers despite the loss and replacement of its head of developer relations earlier this year."

Worldwide Copyrights a Quagmire? (Wired). Wired News has an article on Richard Stallman's presence on a Commerce Department roundtable on the Hague Convention. "Currently the Hague Convention includes copyright offenses in a section that Stallman, Internet providers, and consumer groups are lobbying to remove. Stallman, for instance, claims countries that are even more permissive about awarding software patents could sue U.S. programmers for violating them -- and thereby wreak havoc on the free software movement."

Is Open Source for You? (Software Development Online). This introductory piece describing open source as both code and philosophy is rather thorough and a good reference for those who don't quite get what "freedom" really means to the community. "According to its advocates-and setting aside the social agitprop for now-the strongest advantages of open source software are quality and reliability. If a project can attract enough users and developers, it can leverage The Cathedral and the Bazaar author Eric S. Raymond's famous epigram: 'Given enough eyes, all bugs are shallow.'" (Thanks to Kyle Roberson)

Companies

IBM uses mainframe to woo Linux fans (News.com). While most individuals can't afford their own mainframe, IBM is offering space on their zSeries for Linux fans. "IBM will announce late in the week that it has made one of its 10-processor zSeries mainframe computers available via the Internet for access by people interested in working with the Linux operating system."

VA Linux's losses grow fourfold (News.com). C|Net examines VA Linux's just released revenue report. "Asked if the company could meet its stated goal of profitability by the quarter ended October, 2002, [WR Hambrecht analyst Prakesh] Patel said, 'Not at the current burn rate' --the rate at which the company consumes cash as it tries to get into the black."

Eazel Collapses, And Some Mourn (ZDNet). ZDNet examines the demise of Eazel. "Eazel originally attracted investors because it represented a lot of accumulated experience from the Apple Macintosh design team. An Apple veteran, Andy Hertzfeld, was a founder of Eazel, and Darin Adler, the equivalent of Eazel's vice president for software engineering, had been the technical lead for Apple's System 7."

Life after Eazel (Salon). Here's a pessimistic article in Salon about the collapse of Eazel. "The collapse of Eazel, combined with the difficulties faced by many other companies with open-source/free software dependent business plans, raises some serious questions about the future (and past) of free software. Namely: Just what role did the bubble economy of the '90s play in free software's march to prominence?"

Reviews

Device Profile: Hi-Muse -- the ultimate music appliance? (LinuxDevices). LinuxDevices.com looks at Future Sound Technologies Hi-Muse, a Linux-based entertainment gadget. "Basically, you can use the Hi-Muse to record, play, and store your music from CDs and other sources; it also provides a simple means by which you can locate, listen to, and store music from Internet radio stations, music portals, and other online sources -- without the use of a PC."

Game machines tackle new jobs (News.com). Do people really want a gaming console that can also surf the web, record TV shows and play DVDs? This C|Net article examines the question and the Nokia Media Terminal. "Nokia is counting on consumer who aren't hardcore gamers or power Internet users to embrace a device that offers multiple functions in one streamlined form, said Romulo Pinheiro, product market manager for Nokia."

Interviews

Meet Linus, the accidental revolutionary behind Linux (ZDNet). Here's an interesting analysis of Linus, done based on an interview of the Linux leader while on tour for his autobiography. "But I was there--at least when Torvalds used the word "crap"--and have to say he didn't seem all that worked up about Mundie, sounding like he considered the Microsoft exec more of a misinformed child than a leader of an industry-defining company set on doing Torvalds's invention harm."

Section Editor: Forrest Cook

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