Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 16:16:13 -0500 From: Christopher Young <thoreau@iag.net> To: lwn@lwn.net Subject: Article about Linux in Windows NT Magazine This is a quick note / review of an article in the November Issue of Windows NT Magazine (www.winntmag.com). Since Windows NT Magazine does not make their articles available onlin for three months, I'll give everyone a quick review. The Column is called "NT Intelligence" and the article is called "Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk". The author is David Chernicoff. The article begins by discussing the many new releases from Apple (iMac), Novell (Netware 5.0), and the release of Windows NT (now called Windows 2000) beta 2 which have started what the author calls the "OS jihad" again. The author recgonizes Novell's new approach with regard to its operating system: integrate its tools and network services with NT's to avoid direct competition. Mr. Chernicoff then discussses how Microsoft often releases tools that take the Microsoft approach of "integration is temporary" and how the majority of its tools are meant to migrate a Netware network to NT. Finally, after all of the NT / Netware talk. he gets to the Linux stuff. Basically, the author discusses how his need for a 24x7, inepensive DNS server led him to using Linux. The author used two older machines to create primary and secondary DNS servers for his network. The author then presents some information regarding the recent support Linux has gotten from corporations like Oracle and makes some strong points in Linux's favor. However, as the article begins to close, the author makes some interesting regarding the usability of Linux (as most Windows-only people do) by statiing "With all the commercial support building on Linux, an enterprising developer might even overcome the awkwardness of using the OS on the desktop". The author ends his article by noting that although Linux is maturing rapidly, it will not be able to succeed until its advocates begin to mature. Although, SOME Linux advocates have some growing up to do, I believe that majority of us are comfortable debaters. Also, the author makes the point that in order for Linux to start trampling on NT territory, it must integrate with NT. This part I find almost comical, considering development such as Samba 2.0, which will not only make Linux capable of integrating with NT, but provide (hopefully) the ability to REPLACE the NT Servers with Linux machines. This is definitely a case where an uninformed individual is making judgements without knowing all of the facts. Overall, the article did not appear to go anywhere in particular, but it shows that the NT world (as well as others) is starting to watch Linux more and more.