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

Linux in the news


Another busy week in the Linux press. Companies are gearing up for their LinuxWorld announcements. The biggest item of interest this week, of course, was IBM's announcement. But first, here's this week's recommended reading:
  • Feed Magazine tries to make sense out of the politics of free software in a lengthy article. "Trying to talk about the politics of Open Source using the categories of traditional political taxonomy is like using mammalian anatomy to explain the respiratory apparatus of fish: there's a certain overlap, but the underlying architecture is so different that it's better off defining the terms from scratch." (Thanks to Ramana Juvvadi).

  • The San Jose Mercury has published this lengthy hatchet job against Bill Gates and Microsoft by Jon Katz. "Strangely, or perhaps fittingly, as we lurch toward the end of the decade, the Microsoft Age has sputtered, fizzled, with little fanfare. The Linux Penguin is a much more apt symbol of the times." (Thanks to Rodney Van Meter).

  • The inimitable NTK weighs in with a suitably sarcastic article about Bruce Perens' resignation from the OSI. "Watch for the resultant explosion on the usual mailing lists: as ever, we're expecting a huge release of light, heat, sound, nervous energy - but strangely, no additional code."

  • Here's a Business Week article, about the task of getting W2K and it's 30+ million lines of code into working condition. "The 'daily build' begins at 6 p.m. That's when engineering managers gather all of the new features and bug fixes that thousands of programmers produced during the day and bolt them together like so many auto parts. Twelve hours later--if all goes well--the build is done and quality assurance technicians take over. They test the code on 200 computers and ferret out anywhere from 250 to 400 new bugs." There is also a brief quote from Linus. (Thanks to Marty Leisner).

  • If once again the Linux press has seemed just a little too positive, head over to The Minneapolis Star Tribune. This author decided to try out the system, and did not have much fun. "Where Windows hides the complexity of computers behind easy-to-use icons and pull-down menus, Linux showcases that complexity in lengthy text commands, obtuse manuals and a frustrating GUI, all of which makes it difficult even to boot a CD-ROM." (Thanks to Petre Scheie).

OK, brace yourselves, here's the flood of IBM stories:

  • Here's one in Forbes magazine. "So why bother? The answer is actually very simple--services. Services have helped the IBM resurgence, even as its hardware sales are sliding lower. By shipping Linux with its hardware, IBM can now get additional revenues by providing Linux OS-related services to its clients."

  • The Swiss paper Le Temps has run an article (in French) about IBM's recent moves and the perceived threat to Microsoft and an editorial about free software and the arrival of large corporations. Babelfish links are available for the IBM article and the editorial. (Thanks to Erik Rossen).

  • The (London) Times ran an article about the effect of Linux (and the IBM announcement in particular) on Microsoft's stock price. "A PROGRAM invented by a Finnish computer hacker and handed out free in 1991 cost investors in Microsoft $11 billion (£6.75 billion) this week." (Thanks to Eddie Bleasdale).

  • IBM puts on a penguin suit in the Red Herring.

  • This Arizona Central article is an example of the AP article that showed up in papers all over the U.S. this morning.

  • MSNBCis carrying the Wall Street Journal article.

  • New York Daily News. "Microsoft shares fell on the news, dropping 4¼ to $145.75, while IBM rose 3¾ to $174.25."

  • Austalian Broadcast News. "The biggest reason keeping more people from using Linux up to now has been the lack of technical support, according to a Red Hat statement."

  • CBS News in an example of the Reuters wire service article.

  • Wired News. "Linux has taken another big step toward commercial legitimacy."

  • Inter@ctive Week.

  • Computer Reseller News. "The deal with Red Hat is expected to the first of IBM's key moves within the Linux arena. IBM is expected to unveil more of its Linux at the Linuxworld conference on March 1 in San Jose, Calif."

  • CBS Marketwatch.

  • The (Raleigh, NC) News & Observer covers IBM's announcement. "The announcement was the first from a major hardware company that goes beyond the server market, in which Linux was the fastest-growing operating system in 1998, to the Microsoft-dominated desktop market....IBM will sell a full spectrum of hardware preloaded with Red Hat Linux -- servers,workstations, desktop computers and Thinkpad laptops." (Thanks to Robert A. Wagoner).

  • Salon Magazine has a brief piece. "n the not-too-distant future, it's possible that the only applications that won't run on Linux will belong to Microsoft."

  • Computer Reseller News has a pre-announcement article. "At the start of the agreement, IBM is not planning to preload Linux onto hardware developed by its Personal Systems Group..."

  • InfoWorldhas a similar sort of article. "In addition to IBM's work with Red Hat, the company next week will announce support for Pacific HiTech and Caldera Systems."

  • News.com. "Responding to increasing customer demand by Fortune 500 companies and other business clientele, the computer colossus is advancing its global Linux strategy on several fronts. It is bringing the operating system onto two computer lines, adding Linux support to its services business, and porting its software to the relatively new operating system."

  • The New York Times. "But despite its power and stability, Linux has not gained wide acceptance because corporations have had nowhere to turn for support..." (Registration required; the "cypherpunks" account works as usual). (Thanks to Donald Braman).
HP is doing significant things of its own, but got rather less press. Here's what we were able to find:
  • PC Week ran an article about HP's upcoming Linux-related announcements at LinuxWorld Expo. "Some critics of Linux in the enterprise have cited its wide open development community as a major deterrent to adoption. Too many versions of the OS and too many application development efforts lead to chaos that commercial vendors don't experience when developing in-house or with licensed ISVs, critics argue. But HP's reliance on The Puffin Group is a direct challenge to that criticism. Not only can the open source development community work with Linux in the enterprise, but it can do it as well as or better than commercial vendors." (Thanks to Justin Hall).

  • TechWeb covers the upcoming HP announcements. "In the software area, HP plans to bring its entire software and applications lines to Linux, with the aim of positioning Linux as the preferred development strategy for HP."

And to finish out the business-related articles:

  • Computer Associates will release a version of its Unicenter system for Linux, according to this Network World Fusion article. (NW Fusion requires registration; "cypherpunks" works as usual).

  • TechWeek has a lengthy article touching on Windows refund, LinuxCare, LinuxWorld Expo, and introductory topics. "Southwestern Bell, for example, uses Red Hat Linux 5.2 running on VA Research workstations for its mission-critical 24 x 7 network control center. The Baby Bell was attracted to Linux's superior stability and performance and 'access to source code for debugging,' says Red Hat Software Inc. CEO Bob Young."

  • AsiaBizTech ran an article about increasing Linux business activity in Japan. "Database products and application programs that run on Linux are being launched in rapid succession in Japan, prompting solution providers to set up support systems."

  • They also have a brief piece on a company called Vertex Link, which is selling Linux-installed systems. "The server model comes with two 450MHz Pentium II CPUs. It is built according to specifications, with an emphasis placed on stability. For example, five 6.5GB HDDs are configured into a RAID5 system and a duplex power supply is standard..."

  • And Nikkei News has a brief article about a company called In4S which is coming out with a Linux-based "thin server" box. "A firm with no specialized personnel can create a companywide network in about 10 minutes after turning on the iStation. The unit's menus can be used to create a home page and administer employee e-mail."

  • Also in Nikkei News: this article on the increase in Japanese interest in Linux. "But the software is gradually attracting corporate users because it lets them reduce development and maintenance costs for their information systems. The OS first became popular for use in web and e-mail servers at Internet service providers. But more and more small businesses are taking up the free OS because of the need to cut costs amid the tough economic situation."

  • The Utah-based Deseret News has an article about Caldera and its upcoming initiatives. "Caldera Systems Inc. develops training and business programs for the Linux operating system and is currently in negotiations with IBM Corp., Compaq Computer Corp. and Oracle to create a training alliance."

  • News.com has an article about SCO's Linux compatibility moves. "SCO has made the Linux compatibility software source code--the original programming instructions--publicly available ... giving the code back to the open source programming community that has developed Linux." (Thanks to Ramana Juvvadi).

  • LinuxCare gets a brief mention in the New York times (scroll down a page). "...starting next month, Linuxcare intends to make its 'knowledge base' of technical information freely available to the public over the Web. That data base will be continually updated, the company said, as new information pours in from its experience providing technical support." (NY Times is a registration-required site).

  • Yet another LinuxCare story appears in Internet World. "Industry analysts lauded the efforts of the fledgling LinuxCare but cautioned that it must build partnerships with computer vendors and Linux distributors--who are also potential rivals in the support area--in order to establish a foothold in the market and begin to generate significant revenue."

  • PC Week reviews the Cobalt Qube. Their reaction is rather lukewarm. "Cobalt Networks Inc.'s Cobalt Qube 2 Internet appliance is a good starting point for small, technophobic businesses. But any company with technical know-how and a spare system can duplicate all of its capabilities, often with free software."

  • InfoWorld is hyping the LinuxWorld conference with this article about some announcements that will be made there. "GraphOn will unveil a Linux Playpen at the show, in which show attendees will be able to test various GraphOn products that enable companies to use Windows, Java, and multiuser NT systems to access Linux applications remotely."

  • Here is an article in Business Week which discusses Microsoft's problems, with an emphasis on competition with Unix. "The software giant is used to battling Sun--and wins its share of skirmishes. But Linux could turn out to be Microsoft's Vietnam." (Thanks to Marty Leisner).

A few more Windows refund articles trickled in...

  • Performance Computing's Unix Riot column talks about Windows refund day. "Let's face it, Windows Refund Day showed not the strengths of Linux, FreeBSD, etc., but their weaknesses. The sparse turnout and pseudo-guerilla theater at the so-called rallies indicated that the open-source-OS market is immature at many levels."

  • Robert X. Cringely covers windows refund day. "Microsoft loves this. They loved the demonstration in Foster City. At a time when the company is under fire from the Feds, here is evidence that there is viable competition for Windows. And for a change, Microsoft isn't the bad guy, since it is the PC manufacturer who is responsible for giving that difficult-to-get refund. 'Blame your PC maker!' said Microsoft. We're with you! Have a lemonade!" (Thanks to David Wittenberg).

  • For folks still hungry for Windows refund stuff, here's a site with archived video clips of all the news coverage of the event that they could find.

And to finish things out, here's a batch of miscellaneous pieces and introductory articles.

  • Forbes ran an introductory piece. "Although the jury is still out, evidence is growing that Linux could have a significant impact on the computer industry--and on the bottom lines of those vendors who support it."

  • ComputerWorld has issued a correction to a couple of articles that referred to Linux as "shareware." They declined to take the opportunity to explain what free software is, but it's a step in the right direction anyway...

  • This gossip column in the San Jose Mecury makes some speculations on the reasons behind the success of Linux. "One of the phenomena that's clearly helping Linux develop is the enthusiasm of those self-described idealistic programmers who, having made buckets of money at companies like Apple Computer Inc. and Netscape Communications Corp., are happy to tweak Linux. They like to write code and they don't have day jobs."

  • The Swiss paper Tages Anzeiger has run an article (in German) of an introductory nature. They claim that support remains the biggest problem... Babelfish translation available here. (Thanks to Christian Folini).

  • Here is the ZDNet article about Jean-Louis Gassée's challenge to PC OEM's to install Linux and BeOS for their customers, or forever be accused of being afraid of Microsoft. (Thanks to Daniele Bernardini).

  • Here's a PC Week column about "planning for the millenium." "Linux and open source. This could change the way software is written and licensed. In a few years, you could be building enterprise systems for much less money. But there will likely be a scramble for talented Linux specialists. It's fairly easy to set up a pilot implementation of a Linux server. Start making contingency plans now."

  • InfoWorld has a column on the Trinuxmini-distribution. "It is unbelievable how superior products can be designed and developed under the open source model (hint, hint, Microsoft). Have you uncovered the Trinux gem yet?"

  • The New York Times has put out a lengthy introductory article about Linux and free software. It's a reasonably accurate and positive introduction. "It is hard to believe that the future of software lies in a haphazard process of far-flung programmers e-mailing each other in the middle of the night, but it just might." The New York Times is a registration-required site, but "cypherpunks" works as usual. (Thanks to Richard Storey).

  • The March Penguin's Brew column by Jon Hall is out; this month's installment is about hardware support. "On the issue of proprietary vs. open hardware, I am annoyed that hardware vendors still believe their competitors are smart enough to do reverse engineering on a product's hardware chips, but too dumb to disassemble a driver for a video card to find out how that card is programmed."

  • LinuxPower has another interview up. This one's with Dave "Zoid" Kirsch, the guy behind Linux Quake.

  • The "Linux am Mac FAC" web site has published an interview with Kai Staats of Yellow Dog Linux (a PPC distribution) fame. It's available in both Englishand German.

  • The Economist has put out another introductory article on free software. "Perhaps the software industry will eventually look a bit like a highway. The infrastructure (operating systems, networking technologies) will be largely a public good, while services (support, training) and specialised applications are for sale. Just don't expect Bill Gates to like the idea." (Found in Slashdot).

  • Oracle has launched a new Internet Developer magazine; the first issue features a Q&A with Linus Torvalds. "About everything from how boring he finds databases to getting bitten by a penguin." As of this writing, this site is proving difficult to get into, unfortunately.


February 25, 1999

 

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