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Linux in the news

Recommended Reading

GNOME's Miguel de Icaza on .NET (O'Reilly). Ximian's Miguel de Icaza is interviewed by O'Reilly and says that .Net is a new development environment for the next 20 years. He feels that the design goals behind .NET and Bonobo were very similar, but he thinks the .NET component model is better. "One problem is that Bonobo has a lot more overhead than .NET. .NET is pretty slim when it comes to the size of the components and things that you can expose." A companion technical article on Mono has also been published by O'Reilly.

Open-source fans to emulate .Net (ZDNet). ZDNet looks closer at the offerings and meanings behind the new Mono and DotGNU offerings proposed by Ximian and the Free Software Foundation. "The Mono software project, hosted by Ximian, is designed to reproduce on Linux the ability to execute programs written in the C#...DotGNU is designed to sidestep Microsoft's Passport."

Why it pays to embrace and extend .NET - de Icaza (Register). Miguel de Icaza, CTO of Ximian, tells the Register that .NET actually solves problems GNOME has been trying to address for some time. "Once an API is exposed - every time we add a new Gnome API, we have to wrap it in Python and Perl and Pascal and Objective C. So one problem that .NET solves is that we have to define class libraries once." Garbage collection is another, he says. The Unix API has grown messy, and .NET provides a clean interface: "It's basically starting from a clean slate."

Mono to open source .NET by mid 2002 (Register). A more detailed look at the Mono project has been posted by The Register. "Although Ximian's announcement refers to Linux throughout, and specifically mentions a Win32 (on x86) versions, since it's open source, it'll run on any GNOME- (or glibc)-friendly platform: which these days includes the free BSDs and almost every Unix too. So Sun Microsystems, which is committed to making GNOME the default UI for Solaris, will find itself hosting a Microsoft production platform for the first time."

Ximian To Release Open Source Version of .NET. Here are two more stories about Ximian's Mono project. This one from TechWeb, and this one from Wired.

State of the server operating system wars (ZDNet). Even with an improved middleware layer that supports distributed messaging, the .NET framework for Web services, a revamped infrastructure for serving dynamic Web applications, and a common language runtime environment, Microsoft's renamed Whistler still doesn't spell the end of Linux, according to this ZDNet story. "The whole concept of Web services is immature. Even though some of the underlying technologies are established standards, such as XML, SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and WSDL (Web Service Description Language)...With few exceptions (such as Microsoft and a handful of partners), nobody's deploying Web services. There's plenty of time for the Linux/Java community to catch up."

How About A Pedal-Powered Pentium? (TechWeb). A Lineo employee has hooked a hand crank to a microcontroller for about 2 minutes of power. "Coupard says his invention has limited applications because it produces so little electricity, but it's ideal for data-collection devices, which are usually turned on once or twice a day, run for a minute, and shut off."

Building the 'uCdynamo' -- a hand-powered webserver (LinuxDevices.com). LinuxDevices.com profiles a hand-powered Linux system, complete with pictures. "One nice thing about the uCdimm (apart from its low power consumption, of course) is that it boots into Linux quickly -- which is crucial because the dynamo only provide a little over 2 minutes of power with 60 cranks, so every second spent booting up the board is a second lost that can't be used to browse."

A Victory for the Software Industry (LinuxDevices). Matthew Harris, a former litigator in the Caldera antitrust case against Microsoft and now Lineo's Chief Operating Officer, writes this guest editorial on LinuxDevices.com about why the Federal Appeals Court's recent Microsoft decision is a victory for the software industry. "As for Microsoft's recent comments about the GPL being a cancer, I can't help but be reminded of the tobacco companies in the 50s and early 60s claiming that cigarettes were good for your health ("No wonder so many doctors now smoke and recommend King Size Viceroys")."

Modified game consoles to narrow digital divide (CNN). Talk at the World Economic Forum has included the use of Sony PlayStations running Linux with an external hard drive to reach the masses of poor citizens of the world. "The elite WEF group is crafting a model for the rollout of the PlayStations. Gage said he has discussed the plan with the chairman of Sony and the president of the World Bank and decided that at least 100,000 modified consoles should be installed in schools and people's homes in poor country's such as Uganda and Mali."

China's Linux coders not sharing, says Red Hat (CNN). CNN says that Red Hat doesn't think Linux developers in China are sharing their code as they should. "Hong Kong's Sun Wah Linux says Red Hat's comments are rooted only in frustration as the company fails to win a market dominated by domestic players."

Operating without Microsoft (Denver Post). This not quite so technical author at the Denver Post installed and experimented with Linux recently, and sums up Linux in the simplest - and possibly most profound - way yet. "The hacking and experimenting reminded me of learning to do these things on an Osborne in 1986, back when computers were fun, rather than appliances. And it was refreshing to be getting the computer to do what I wanted it to do, rather than trying to figure out how Windows wanted it done."

Companies

Atipa absorbed back into newly formed Oculan (The News & Observer). Atipa, which once focused on hardware in a manner similar to VA Linux Systems, has closed its doors and its employees have been absorbed back into a company Atipa purchased last year: PlatformWorks (now known as Oculan). "In a move known as a downstream merger, Atipa ceased to exist last week, and remaining employees are moving to the Triangle where they will report to Oculan chief executive and OpenNMS founder Steve Giles."

Tempest in a Caldera (ZDNet). Evan Leibovitch says that Caldera's new licensing scheme, though not well received by the community, just might work. "Rather than booing the company, the Linux community should cheer the fact that the Linux spectrum allows such diversity. At one end we have distributions such as Debian, which closely track current releases and don't consider any non-free code as part of the collection. At the other, Caldera not only allows but welcomes proprietary programs as integral parts of what it calls the OS."

The Perl Journal to be published by CMP. The Perl Journal has been picked up by CMP, the company which publishes Dr. Dobb's Journal, C/C++ Users Journal, and Sys Admin Magazine.

IBM says Microsoft arrogant on open source (News.com). At LinuxExpo in London, IBM executives said that Microsoft can't stop the coming open source tide. "Andy Hoiles, IBM's Linux business manager for IBM's European Enterprise Systems Group, believes Microsoft's anti-open source, pro-.Net strategy is the arrogance of a company that has succeeded in conquering markets more often than it has failed."

The Appeals Court Ruling: What's in it for Linux? (Linux Journal). The Linux Journal examines the Microsoft appeals court ruling from a Linux point of view. "Of course, the tale isn't fully told yet; the case could go to the Federal Appeal's Court. Even if the appeals court ruling stands, Microsoft could simply choose to ignore the rules and try to squash Linux by whatever means necessary."

Red Hat rival shifts pricing plan (News.com). C|Net reports on Great Bridge's reaction to Red Hat's plans for support of PostgreSQL.

Red Hat Eyes Indian Govt Sector . Red Hat India, the Indian unit of Linux software developer Red Hat Inc., has entered into an alliance with the Electronics Research & Development Centre of India (ER&DCI) aimed at promoting the Linux operating system in the government sector.

Microsoft to Change Licensing Pacts (AP/Yahoo). Microsoft has changed licensing restrictions on computer manufacturers that would allow them to replace Microsoft products with alternatives. According to the story on AP/Yahoo, this move is not related to settlement discussions with the Department of Justice. " ``We recognize that some provisions in our existing Windows licenses have been ruled improper by the court, so we are providing computer manufacturers greater flexibility,'' Ballmer said."

Microsoft Gives Blessing To Open-Source .NET, But Analyst Smells A Rat (TechWeb). One analyst thinks that Microsoft's blessing of Mono is the same tactics that company has used before in putting competitors out of business. "Instead of satisfying their own customers' demand, competitors are busy catching up with Microsoft," Kusnetzky said. "It looks like they've gotten someone in the open source community to play the game of following Microsoft around and trying to do what they do."

The 3000-pound gorilla is not amused (I.T.). The Australian I.T. site looks at Microsoft's recent responses to Linux. "Now, 'viral' is a term with some fairly ugly connotations in the digital world. The use of the term might be mere window dressing (boom, tish), but it speaks volumes about the antagonism felt towards Linux. It also opens up some pretty interesting possibilities for all lawyers drafting licences. One might routinely define the other party as 'the dolts', for instance." (Thanks to Con Zymaris).

MontaVista signs Linux deals, cuts staff (News.com). This C|Net article covers embedded Linux provider MontaVista and looks briefly at its competitors. "But times have been tough for embedded Linux companies, as the economic malaise has curtailed customer and manufacturer interest in embedded product categories such as handheld computers and telecommunications equipment. Lineo withdrew its initial public offering plan in January, and LynuxWorks followed suit in June. Red Hat has said customers in the embedded market are delaying orders."

SGI loses president amid sales slowdown (News.com). SGI's CFO and President Hal Covert, formerly with Red Hat before joining SGI, has resigned according to this C|Net newsbrief.

Stratus preps high availability Linux port (Register). The Register reports on efforts underway to port Linux to fault tolerant servers from Status. "Stratus is best known as a niche supplier of fault-tolerant systems based on PA RISC chips, and running either HP-UX or its own proprietary VOS operating system. The firm uses redundant hardware components and approved software to offer high reliability servers to telcos and financial services firms."

The Interactive Week Fast 50 (ZDNet). VA Linux inexplicably managed to hold on to #25 in Interactive Week's top 50 fast-growing Internet companies. "VA Linux Systems grew its business almost 290 percent last year, but 2001 has been a different story. Fiscal third-quarter revenue of $20.3 million compares with $34.6 million a year ago. Amdahl veteran Ali Jenab has been brought in as president and chief operating officer to stem the decline." You'd think they would have noted the slight change in direction the company took recently.

Business

Linux prepares for battle (ZDNet). Reporting from the UK Linux Expo this ZDNet UK story looks at the growth of Linux as a mature OS. "Linux has made rapid progress in the server market, where it continues to grow despite the dot-com crash. A recent study estimated that Linux now runs 30 percent of Web servers, and companies buying Linux say that it has now conquered many of its early shortcomings, such as lack of applications and its restriction to lower-end machines."

Easy season for open source (ZDNet). It's all quiet on the Linux trading front, but the wheels keep turning from the open source community, according to this story from ZDNet. "I'm still cautiously optimistic about Linux on the desktop. While it may never become the dominant desktop, it need only offer a credible and stable alternative to succeed. One could argue, based on that criterion, that the Linux desktop has already succeeded, at least to Ford Europe and others. But I see things getting even better as the quantity and quality of open source applications increases."

Resources

Promise FastTrak on Red Hat 7.1 HowTo (Duke Of URL). This article discusses using the Promise FastTrak RAID controllers under Linux. "If you're looking for open-source drivers, you're in luck. Someone in Red Hat is working on GPL'd drivers, which will be integrated into future versions of Red Hat Linux. These drivers are currently available in all "ac" (Alan Cox) kernels from 2.4.5 on."

Interviews

Pragmatism, ethics and beautiful code (SiliconValley.com). SiliconValley.com talks with Linus Torvalds. "There are a few rules when you are a scientist, and they are not actually written down. It's not like a copyright statement, like Linux has, but they are even more [sic] ingrained than that. If you do science, it has to be repeatable, which means that when you do something and you claim that you can do it, you have to tell the world how you did it. And other people will be able to repeat the thing, and do the same thing as you." (Thanks to Richard Storey)

Interview with Shawn Gordon, CEO of theKompany. Shawn Gordon, CEO of theKompany which focuses on KDE applications, talks about the Linux desktop, GNOME competition, EULA's, and the GPL. When asked why theKompany is important to KDE, Gordon responded (in part): "Here is a current reality check for people. GNOME has a single voice with Miquel and Ximian, it's an entity that people like HP and Sun can talk to and contract with. There isn't anyone like that for KDE, which is why you have things like the KDE League now, but I don't know if that will be enough. Windows and Intel won the war against Motorola and the various OS's of the time, not because they were better. There are a lot of KDE developers working for companies like SuSE, Trolltech, Mandrake, etc., well if GNOME wins the war and KDE is not of interest to people, then those people are no longer going to get paid to work on KDE."

Miscellaneous

Group opens new open-source channels to Mac OS X (ZDNet). The FreeBSD ports system has been ported to Darwin, apparently making open source applications readily accessible to Darwin based OS systems, including Mac OS X. "This is similar to the "apt-get" feature in the Debian distribution of Linux and relies on the fact that BSD-based OSes such as FreeBSD, OpenBSD and others use a "package" system for registering compiled applications and libraries in a centralized database; in addition, Linux distributions use their own package delivery systems."

OS X flaws draw hackers' eyes (ZDNet). Apple learns to deal with network vulnerabilities with the FreeBSD based OS X, something they never really had to worry about in the past. "Apple seems to be aware of its potentially precarious situation. While the company's Web site doesn't have extensive security resources, the company has formed a team to combat security vulnerabilities."

Linux Programming Standards (IT-Director). IT-Director looks at the brief history of the Free Standards Group and the Linux Standard Base. "So, the question is whether all of this will make any difference? The Free Standards Group has the backing of most of the leading Linux players, such as Caldera, Red Hat, SUSE and Turbolinux, as well as IBM and Intel. However, announcements of support don?t actually amount to much unless they are supported by action, so until we see LSB and LDPS compliant products from the majority of these vendors we will not be in a position to conclude that these efforts at standardisation have proved successful."

Section Editor: Forrest Cook

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