07.23.08
Links 23/07/2008: Debian Almost 15 Years Old, Firefox 3.1 Alpha Out This week
Releases
Dragonfly BSD 2.0, BLAG Linux And GNU 90001 and RIPLinuX 6.1 have just been released. Also:
- easys GNU/Linux 4.1.1 released 2008/07/19
- Ubuntu Muslim Edition 8.04.1 released
- NimbleX 2008 is out!
GNU/Linux
- Linux is easier to install than XP
- Gaming on Ubuntu (Linux)
There is also always the opportunity to run a virtual machine to run your windows programs (that will be the topic of my next post). So, next time someone says to you that they don’t want to switch to Linux because they won’t be able to play games, you might want to correct them.
- Dictators in free and open source software
Some people seem to challenge the idea that most (if not all) free software projects need a benevolent dictator—that is, somebody who has the last say on every decision. They are quick to point out Linus Torvalds’ past “mistakes” (see the brackets): using BitKeeper to manage the kernel, not allowing “pluggable” schedulers in Linux, etc. As a software developer, I feel that a dictator is absolutely necessary in every free software project. Here is why.
- Ubuntu Puts Big Emphasis on Small PCs at OSCON
- Debian celebrates 15-year legacy
While a respected and widely-used Linux distribution in its own right, Debian has, over the 15 years, also been widely used as the base for numerous other Linux distributions, including the popular Ubuntu distribution created by South African entrepreneur, Mark Shuttleworth.
Firefox
- Mozilla to release first Firefox 3.1 preview Friday
- Firefox 3.1 Alpha 1 code freeze is on
- about:mozilla - Executive Director, Air Mozilla, Labs meetup, Firefox 3.1, Community Calendar, and more…
- Firebug Matures, Gets Developers and Hosting from Mozilla
Open
- Creating digital libraries with UNESCO open source software
- Open source still the best way to develop software
- Canonical hippies spread Ubuntu Launchpad love
- Open Source Medical Records
- Open-Source Biomodels: Molecules First, Then the World
- Crowd-sourcing the e-car
- Hosting Companies & Open Source a “Match Made in Heaven”
Censorship Through the Back Door
- Court Strikes Down Internet Censorship Law
- New York threatens Comcast with anti-porn suit
- US Court Strikes Down COPA, Again
Microsoft
- Opinion: Microsoft faces a turning point
Instead, Microsoft’s decisions have been shortsighted: It has turned software antipiracy measures into a strategic initiative; it has delivered Web-based “Live” products that require a program installed on the client; and its CEO, Steve Ballmer, has asserted that Linux infringed on Microsoft’s intellectual property. These are not the hallmarks of a company leading the technology industry with strategic vision.
- Benchmarking Microsoft Word 95 through Word 2007
- New studies highlight the potential downsides of SharePoint
- Microsoft fights back, but does it have enough ammo?
- What Is the Next Step in the Microsoft-Yahoo ‘Monkey Dance’?
Perhaps its most surprising decision was to openly ally itself with Carl Icahn. Some M&A lawyers believe that by joining forces with the graying raider, Microsoft may have exposed itself to SEC proxy solicitation rules that require participants in a proxy fight to disclose their involvement.
While a potential violation on Microsoft’s part may be academic now that the proxy fight is over, the episode underscores the uncomfortable position Microsoft put itself in through its Icahn affiliation.
[…]
Such statements could be construed as tacit endorsements of Icahn’s cause or even solicitation material and may have violated the SEC’s rules, legal experts say. The remedy for such violations is greater disclosure, in which a party must typically file lots of paperwork with the SEC. “It’s a clear violation,” says Antony Page, a law professor at Indiana University who specializes in M&A. “The courts interpret solicitation broadly.” The SEC declined to comment on whether it is looking into the matter.
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.