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Linux in the news


Recommended Reading

Code Is Free Speech (Business 2.0). In January 2000 the hacker quarterly, 2600 magazine, hosted a website that linked to DVD decryption technology. Now, according to this Business 2.0 article a group of computer scientists have filed a legal brief supporting 2600 magazine. "'Our basic argument is that computer code is speech and it is entitled to First Amendment protections,' says Andy Hertzfeld, co-founder of software firm Eazel and one of the brief's authors. 'Code, whether it is source or object, is speech and should be protected. That's the truth, and there is no ambiguity. I abhor what the MPAA is doing to bend the facts to fit their commercial ends.'"

This article in C|Net's News.com also looks at the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the suit against 2600 magazine and related issues. "At the center of the renewed controversy is part of the 1998 DMCA that protects almost any copyright holder's attempt to prevent unauthorized digital copying. Breaking through copy protection, or even distributing a device or information that would help break copy protections, was made illegal."

Gnutella puts up fight for Web elite (News.com). News.com has posted an update on Gnutella development. "Two things Gnutella doesn't have to improve are its hype and its swagger."

Clustering Around Linux (Business 2.0). Linux supercomputing clusters are the subject of this article in Business 2.0. "'In this area, the supercomputer area, the Linux boxes are much better designed than the Windows boxes,' said Mike Balma, director of marketing for HP Linux systems operations. 'Instead of coming up from the desktops, they're coming from the engineering area. This is the heartbeat for Linux and Linux systems.' A typical system includes a 'head node' and servers that can be small as a pizza box. The data is distributed to server 'clusters' for processing; the largest systems can hold upwards of 1,000 nodes." (Thanks to Richard Storey)

Digital-audio players heading to cars (News.com). News.com looks at the upcoming round of MP3 players for cars. "The Empeg in-car player, based on a version of the Linux operating system, will have a 600-hour capacity and a hard drive designed not to skip."

Companies

Red Hat partners with Eazel for online services (News.com). News.com looks at the Red Hat/Eazel agreement. "The Eazel-Red Hat deal has a number of ramifications, chief among them the elimination of competition for customers seeking software update services. Though Eazel and Red Hat had different target markets, their parallel technology meant a smaller market for each company while Microsoft blazed ahead with Windows Update and other subscription plans." (Thanks to Christof Damian).

Lineo dons Red Hat for telecommunications server (News.com). News.com covers Lineo's deal with Force Computers to make Linux run on Force's high-availability systems. "But Lineo also has changed directions dramatically. Although it is working on a version of Linux called Embedix, based on a product from sister company Caldera Systems, the Force device will use a different product called Availix that's based on Red Hat's version of Linux."

Big names sign on for Linuxcare programming services (News.com). C|Net's News.com writes about Linuxcare's deals with Hewlett-Packard, Network Appliance, Maxtor, Tricord and SGI. "Most of the deals tie in with Samba software, which lets file storage operations on a Linux computer behave like a Windows machine, a key requirement for infiltrating Linux computers into Windows networks."

ADS cranks down the power on StrongARM (LinuxDevices.com). This article on LinuxDevices looks at Applied Data Systems' "true sleep mode" support for Embedded Linux on Intel's StrongARM SA-1110 processor. "The new support, which reduces the SA-1110's power drain from half a watt (full on) to less than ten milliwatts, is of major potential significance to battery operated systems and handheld devices." ADS will be demonstrating this at LinuxWorld.

Skinny VA Linux servers cheaper than predecessors (News.com). VA Linux is introducing two small 1U servers to compete directly with Dell and Sun Microsystems.

Business

Startups keep open source competitive (Upside). Upside looks at small free software companies. "That's not to say small companies are out of the running altogether, of course. A few days ago I paid a visit to WorkSpot, a 30-person company based in Palo Alto, Calif. And while the visit wasn't enough to dispel a growing cause for concern over the momentary health of the open source business sector, it was enough to remind me that even in tough times, being small has its advantages."

The state of Linux (ZDNet). Here's a ZDNet editorial looking at "the state of Linux" and where it should go from here. "We suggest that the show is as good an occasion as any for Linux backers to start changing their mind-set, from that of scrappy upstarts to that of steady enterprise players. For Linux partisans, maturity is not to be feared, but embraced."

Linux World

Linux Looks to Take on the World (Wired). Wired News tells us what to expect from LinuxWorld. "Although many developers say the newly released 2.4 kernel will also boost Linux's popularity in business markets, few expect to see many finished 2.4 products on display at LinuxWorld this week, since many developers are still working their way through the testing and certification process. LinuxWorld San Francisco, slated for August of 2001, is expected to be the true showcase for 2.4 applications."

LinuxWorld shows software entering adulthood (News.com). News.com looks forward to LinuxWorld with a list of expected announcements. "The standard-bearer for the new Linux reality is IBM, in particular President Sam Palmisano. A year ago, Palmisano pushed Big Blue to its current position as one of the loudest and most determined Linux advocates, with the company spreading Linux across all four of its major server lines. During his opening keynote address Wednesday, Palmisano will declare that the Linux effort has advanced from convincing established computing companies to support the operating system to winning over customers who actually use it, sources familiar with the speech said."

LinuxWorld 2001 (ZDNet). ZDNet looks forward to LinuxWorld. "The real news from the show is Linux's continuing journey into the mainstream of server computing. All the major server players who have already committed to Linux -- Compaq, Dell and IBM -- will be there with a flurry of new small deals to show that they're serious about Linux."

LinuxWorld set to roll (InfoWorld). InfoWorld has a preview of LinuxWorld. "Hardware vendors at Linux World will demonstrate improvements in system management, clustering, and the versatility of Linux on Intel's upcoming IA-64 Itanium processor."

Resources

IBM makes set of Java libraries open source (ZDNet). IBM has released the Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) libraries as open source for Java developers. "The Universal Description, Discovery and Integration initiative, launched last year, is a multivendor effort to create registries for Web services, allowing companies to automatically discover each other and do business over the Web."

Reviews

The LO Newbie Tests Mouseless (Midnight) Commander (Linux Orbit). Mouseless Commander was the original name for the Midnight Commander program. In this Linux Orbit article a Linux newbie documents his experience with Midnight Commander. "Midnight Commander is one of the best newbie helping tools, especially for those who are shy of the command line. Converts to Linux from Windows might not have seen something that looks like Midnight Commander before, but the interface should be reasonably familiar. I highly recommend Midnight Commander to all first time Linux users. It certainly has made my newbie experience easier."

Interviews

Torvalds looks beyond 2.4 (ZDNet). ZDNet interviews Linus Torvalds. "I tend to avoid very specific plans [for 2.5]. It all depends on what works out and what really ends up being most important. I want to revamp some of the device driver interfaces some more. We got many issues worked out in 2.4.x, but we have a few things still left that need to just be re-engineered. Things where you can trace back the design to the original kernel 10 years ago and where the situation has just changed so much that some of those design decisions need to be revisited."

Miscellaneous

Why Linux is turning the tables (ZDNet). ZDNet ponders why Linux is doing so well. "If someone doesn't like Linus' decisions they're welcome to roll their own -- but the fact that so little kernel forking has been done so far indicates that even the big boys respect the process. They know they can't control Linux -- but then neither can any other single player, and that is Linux's ultimate victory."

Linux 2.4 is Here, but Some Goodies are Missing (ZDNet). Here's another ZDNet editorial on what Linux needs to do. Despite the title, it has little to do with the 2.4 kernel. "Here's what I think Linux needs to enable you to make a real run for contracts currently going to W2K/NT integrators. First, you need to educate decision makers about Linux and open source. Too many senior IT folks still think of open source as this scary thing that may come back and bite them with licensing problems."

MS Exec: Linux Is Going Down (Wired). Here's a delightful bit of FUD from Microsoft as covered in Wired News. "These are three key Linux trends to watch for in 2001: a static growth rate, lessening mainstream interest in the open source operating system, and a sharp decline in Linux-based companies' stock value, said Doug Miller, Microsoft's group product manager for competitive strategies." I guess we know what sort of "competitive strategy" he has come up with.

Linux Destined to Fall by the Wayside (Microsoft). Microsoft has this piece of fud on its website. "But it is true that Linux are actually rapidly increasing their market share in the US also. Doesn't this pose a threat?
Linux is simply a fad that has been generated by the media and is destined to fall by the wayside in time. Windows 2000 will gradually overtake the Linux share in the server market. In fact, the advent of Linux has spurred Microsoft's developers to move up a gear. The arrival of new competitors in applications or operating systems development provides us at Microsoft with the driving force to create even better software products.
" Please remember to be polite when responding to fud. (Thanks to Dan Kegel)

Section Editor: Rebecca Sobol


February 1, 2001

 

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