08.06.08
Links 06/08/2008: IBM Gives Boost to Proprietary GNU/Linux® Desktops, HPC Source Code
IBM
- IBM targets Microsoft with desktop Linux initiative
- IBM to open source supercomputing code
The company said its HPC Open Source Software Stack, which includes IBM’s Extreme Cluster Administration Toolkit, was its first ever contribution of open source code for supercomputing.
- Virtually Speaking: IBM Goes High on Linux
None of this is terribly surprising. Today, for many enterprises, Linux is just another operating system choice. In a clear case of be-careful-what-you-wish-for, it is as viable an option as some of the Unix heavyweights or Microsoft Windows, depending on the situation.
The other wrench is the possibility that virtualization’s gain is the operating system’s loss, although given the hypervisor’s potentially commodity status, it’s gain may well be negligible.
Cloud™
- Merrill Lynch building toward stateless data center
- Dell defends its ‘cloud computing’ trademark bid
Wireless
- Volante POS Systems Announces Wireless POS Solution for Linux
- WiFi software arrives on Linux desktops
Devices
- Sonos refreshes Linux audio gear
Sonos has chosen LinuxWorld in San Francisco this week as the place to unveil updated hardware and new Linux-based firmware. The vendor says its whole-house audio products are carried by 3,000 retailers in 55 countries, putting them among the most popular Linux-based consumer electronics products yet.
- Cortex-A8-based SOM gains Linux support
Phones
- Motorola rolls trio of Linux ROKR phones
Motorola today made a more aggresive leap into music phones with three mid-range ROKR phones, all of which are based on Motorola’s more recent Linux-based operating system.
- LiMo Open to Working With Google on Mobile
- LinuxWorld: For mobile operating systems, too much Linux?
- Qualcomm and Google prepare iPhone competitor
- The Value Of Open Platforms (aka Why I Don’t Own iPhone)
Don’t confuse an open platform with open source. Windows, PalmOS, Symbian, and even Mac OS X are all basically open platforms (but clearly not open source). You can run any app designed for the platform whether it is specifically blessed by the developer of the platform or not.
Fedora
- Red Hat, community release Fedora 10 alpha
Red Hat and project contributors have released alpha code for Fedora 10, the next version of the community-sponsored, free and open source Linux distribution that will include enhancements to the audio, security and wireless-connection features of the operating system.
- Fedora on a stick
Fedora 9 now lets you create a bootable Linux distribution on a flash drive with persistence. In other words, you can not only boot any PC that will accept USB drive booting into Linux, you can even boot into your own personal desktop. Now, that can be useful.
Mini PCs
- Google Pushing Software to Low-Cost Linux PCs
With an eye for larger adoption of Linux, Google is actively working with open-source developers to integrate its applications in the OS, a Linux developer said on Tuesday.
- Atom-based tablet runs Linux
Arbor Technology has announced a seven-inch tablet PC that uses Intel Atom processors and runs Linux. The ruggedized Gladius G0710 has a touchscreen display, gigabit Ethernet and 802.11b/g networking, a two megapixel camera, and survives multiple four-foot drops, according to the company.
- Linux set to dominate MIDs
Debian/Ubuntu
- What to expect in Debian 5: Lenny
All-in-all, it looks like Debian 5 will be an outstanding distribution. Since Debian is, in turn, the foundation of many other distributions, such as Ubuntu and its family of Linux distributions; MEPIS; and Xandros, this bodes well for all of Linux.
- Are Ubuntu Users Getting the Best of Both Worlds?
- Ubuntu Free Culture Showcase
GNU/Linux: General
- LinuxWorld keynotes: Now is the time to invest.
- Five Things Linus Torvalds Has Learned About Managing Software Projects
- Linux laptop, make or buy?
- LinuxWorld Day Two Gets Rolling
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.
David Gerard said,
August 6, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Update on Foxconn motherboard and ACPI under Linux: Matthew Garrett says no sabotage and one problem which was a bug in Linux.