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News Bytes

Contents:

Selected and formatted by Michael Conry and Mike Orr

Submitters, send your News Bytes items in PLAIN TEXT format. Other formats may be rejected without reading. You have been warned! A one- or two-paragraph summary plus URL gets you a better announcement than an entire press release.


 December 2000 Linux Journal

The December issue of Linux Journal is on newsstands now. This issue focuses on System Administration. Click here to view the table of contents, or here to subscribe. All articles through December 1999 are available for public reading at http://www.linuxjournal.com/lj-issues/mags.html. Recent articles are available on-line for subscribers only at http://interactive.linuxjournal.com/.


Distro News


 ASP Linux

ASP Linux - the first Singapore made Linux distribution for PC - has been developed by SWsoft with the needs of Application Service Providers in mind. It combines a user friendly Linux distribution (Red Hat 7 compatible) for home and office desktops with professional server software packages for ASPs, ISPs NSPs and others. SWsoft are currently looking for mirrors located in Asia Pacific Region for their distribution, source code and applications.


 Caldera

OREM, UT-November 1, 2000: In a follow up to last month's item, Caldera Systems announced its Linux management solution (formerly code-named "Cosmos") has been named Caldera Volution. The product, currently in open beta, is still available for download from Caldera's Web site at www.calderasystems.com/beta Volution is a browser- and directory-based management product for Linux systems that utilizes the strengths of LDAP directories. Using Volution, network administrators can create policies and profiles to manage a half dozen or thousands of Linux systems, without having to individually manage/touch each.


OREM, UT-November 6, 2000: Caldera Systems, Inc. announces its upcoming Linux/Unix Power Solutions Tour 2000 which runs from November 14th through December 12th. The 12-city tour targets those who develop and deploy on Linux and Unix-including VARs, ASPs, ISVs, developers, resellers, consultants and corporate IT professionals. This tour presents Caldera's vision of the future for Linux and UNIX and Linux training. Each presentation on the tour includes two sessions: a morning business briefing and an afternoon Linux Essentials course with hands-on training, including for-sale software and solutions guides. You can get more details from www.calderasystems.com/partners/tour, or call toll-free on 1-866-890-8388.


 NeoLinux

Neoware Systems showcases the first embedded Linux designed specifically for desktop computing appliances at Comdex Fall 2000. NeoLinux 2.0 is the latest version of its embedded Linux operating system. NeoLinux features a newly designed, customizable user interface designed specifically for desktop computing appliances, and made up of two main components. ezConnect provides a user interface to allow users and administrators to easily create connections to run a range of applications (e.g. MS Windows applications on servers, or UNIX applications over X). ezSnap allows new software features to be easily added to appliances across a network. As a stand-alone product NeoLinux 2.0 is available for $60 per appliance with one year of technical support and upgrades.


 Storm

Storm sent us some links which may be of interest to those wanting to find out about this distribution...


News in General


 Upcoming conferences and events

Courtesy Linux Journal. For the latest updates, see LJ's Industry Events page.
USENIX Winter - LISA 2000
December 3-8, 2000
New Orleans, LA
www.usenix.org
Pluto Meeting 2000
December 9-11, 2000
Terni, Italy
meeting.pluto.linux.it
LinuxWorld Conference & Expo
January 30 - February 2, 2001
New York, NY
www.linuxworldexpo.com
ISPCON
February 5-8, 2001
Toronto, Canada
events.internet.com
Internet World Spring
March 12-16, 2001
Los Angeles, CA
events.internet.com
Game Developers Conference
March 20-24, 2001
San Jose, CA
www.cgdc.com
CeBit
March 22-28, 2001
Hannover, Germany
www.cebit.de
Linux Business Expo
April 2-5, 2001
Chicago, IL
www.linuxbusinessexpo.com
Strictly e-Business Solutions Expo
May 23-24, 2001
Location unknown at present
www.strictlyebusinessexpo.com
USENIX Annual Technical Conference
June 25-30, 2001
Boston, MA
www.usenix.org
PC Expo
June 26-29, 2001
New York, NY
www.pcexpo.com
Internet World
July 10-12, 2001
Chicago, IL
events.internet.com
O'Reilly Open Source Convention
July 23-26, 2001
San Diego, CA
conferences.oreilly.com
LinuxWorld Conference & Expo
Conference: August 27-30, Exposition: August 28-30, 2001
San Francisco, CA
www.linuxworldexpo.com
Linux Lunacy
Co-Produced by Linux Journal and Geek Cruises

October 21-28, 2001
Eastern Carribean
www.geekcruises.com


 OEone and Tatung Join Forces

Toronto, ON - October 31, 2000: A joint agreement has been announced between Ottawa-based OEone and Tatung Co. of Canada. The two companies will be working together to bring fully-integrated, Linux-based Internet Computer solutions to leading OEM customers. The core of this deal is an exclusive arrangement between the two parties to fully integrate OEone's Linux-based Operating Environment and web applications with Tatung's All-In-One plus additional custom computer designs.


 SGI and ePeople Linux support

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Nov. 6, 2000: SGI and ePeople are bringing a new online technical support marketplace to Linux users. Linux users can receive support through a new SGI Online Helpdesk or through the ePeople marketplace web site.

The agreement also allows the more than 200 SGI open source operating system support technicians to join the ePeople marketplace to provide fee-based Linux support to anyone who needs it. SGI also offers Web-based service incident packs, called WebPacks, from its Online Helpdesk. WebPacks are prepaid service agreements available in quantities of 5, 10 or 20 incidents, (e.g. a 5-incident WebPack costs $449 (U.S. list)).


 Clarksville Linux Users Group

Kinda a local news item (Tennessee, USA), but LUG's are a very important part of the whole Linux movement: The CLlug meets the third Thursday of every month in the Claxton Bldg, third floor @ Austin Peay State University. CLlug has been around for almost one year and is actively recruiting new members. Mark, from CLlug, tells us that they are pushing for further Linux use in the University, in particular by linking in with staff who already use Open Source software. The group have also got the use of the College's projection facilities for meetings and classes.

Our Editor, Mike, recommends looking up GLUE (Groups of Linux Users Everywhere) for anyone interested in finding like-minded individuals in their area, or in publicising new groups.


 IBM/KDE League and Voice Technology

November 15, 2000 (Las Vegas, Nevada): Further to their existing support for Linux, IBM are now joining the KDE League, and integrating their Via Voice technology into KDE. IBM's ViaVoice is currently the only voice recognition software commercially available for the Linux operating environment.

The KDE League is a group of industry leaders and KDE developers formed to focus on facilitating the promotion, distribution and development of KDE. The League will not be directly involved in developing the core KDE libraries and applications, but rather will focus on promoting the use of KDE and development of KDE software by third party developers.


 Linuxcare and Eazel partner

SAN FRANCISCO Nov. 7, 2000: Linuxcare and Eazel announced a partnership geared toward speeding Linux development.

Under the agreement, Linuxcare will provide email support services to customers of Eazel's Network User Environment which includes Eazel Services and the Nautilus client for Linux systems which can be downloaded at www.eazel.com. Linuxcare will also maintain a Linux knowledgebase support site at Eazel.com by capturing documentation and software updates, as well as managing and updating support FAQs. Linuxcare's services will support the preview of Eazel's Internet services and Nautilus client that is being integrated with the GNOME 1.4 windowing system.


 Training Pages (UK's Largest Online Training Directory) Reaches 10,000 Courses

Training Pages announced that it had just passed the landmark of ten thousand (10,000) distinct and separate courses.

Training Pages runs entirely on open source software, including the Linux operating system, the Apache web server, the MySQL database and the PHP scripting language.


 Announcing Release 0.9.2 of the Computer History Graphing Project

Version 0.9.2 of the Computer History Graphing Project has now been released. The project aims to graph all of computerdom in one large family tree. This version contains an updated version of the unified parser program, parsech. It can now optionally output a DBM hash containing the parsed data. The documentation has also been updated, in addition to the data trees. More specifically, the NeXT, Palm, Windows, and Apple Darwin trees have all been updated. The project's web site is located at comp-hist.sourceforge.net.


 Linux Links

Adobe beta tested a Linux version of FrameMaker, then decided not to release a product. Linux Weekly News speculates why.

Is the Internet in China, rather than heralding an age of open communication, actually solidifying Big Brother's control? Linux Journal author Bryan Pfaffenberger argues so in his web article The Internet in China.

Tips on getting that darned mouse wheel to scroll under X.

Links from The Duke of URL:

Links from Anchordesk and ZDnet:

MSNBC have a good report from COMDEX 2000, focusing on the rise of embedded Linux systems.

A look at Gnutella, and possible legal implications.

Open-source developer's agreement (clauses for the contract between developers and their employers)

Slashdot review of a book explaining the Open Source revolution to non-tekkies.

From Linuxworld, an article alleging that MS is using Linux code in the latest Windows versions to make their product more stable.

Traceroute Java Servlet sources (under Linux) are now available for free downloading from the http://cities.lk.net/trdownload.html


Software Announcements


 IBM Small Business Suite for Linux

Somers, NY, November 6, 2000 . . . IBM today announced the industry's first Linux-based integrated software solution for small businesses. It delivers the tools necessary to help customers with messaging and collaboration, productivity, Web site creation and design, and data management. IBM also includes a fully integrated install program.

"This offering provides small businesses, and the Value-Added Resellers (VARs) and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) that serve them, everything they need to do serious e-business on Linux.," said Scott Handy, director, Linux solutions marketing, IBM Software. "The IBM Small Business Suite is first-of-a-kind for Linux and delivers the three most requested servers: database, e-mail and Web application server software, delivering a great solution at a great price."

The suite is available for US$499 at www.ibm.com/shopibm. Site licenses are also available. Supported distributions include Caldera, Red Hat, SuSE and TurboLinux. The installer program and desktop software are available in ten European and Asian languages.

The Small Business Suite for Linux includes the following software:

Lotus Domino Release 5.04

Is a leading messaging and collaboration solution that allows customers to get e-mail and Web sites up-and-running rapidly with a unified, easy-to-manage administrator interface. This solution provides desktop and mobile e-mail, Web access, calendaring, group scheduling, bulletin boards/newsgroups, workflow and database access. Domino sends and receives e-mail using standard Internet e-mail protocols including native Internet addressing, SMTP routing, and supports a wide variety of clients and devices including a Web browsers, Lotus Notes clients, POP3 and IMAP4 mail clients.

IBM WebSphere Application Server, Standard Edition Version 3

This delivers an open and flexible Web application runtime environment for internal and external Web pages by allowing Java servlets to run on top of an HTTP server including the Apache Web server or the included IBM HTTP server powered by Apache. The WebSphere Application Server makes it easy to build security-enhanced, individual Web sites providing Web access to credit, delivery, order processing or other business-critical information. This offering also provides interaction with IBM DB2 Universal Database for access to managed relational data directly from Web applications.

IBM DB2 Universal Database Version 7

This award-winning database is a powerful, easy-to-use multi-media ready relational database management system with the ability to handle the ad-hoc structured queries for a wide variety of data types including text, data, voice, image or any binary object. Reports can be customized and generated from the information to help run a small business more efficiently. Data from third party applications that support DB2, such as accounting information, can be stored, retrieved and reported on from DB2, routed or shared in a teamroom with Lotus Domino or made accessible to customers or suppliers over the internet with WebSphere Application Server.

IBM WebSphere Homepage Builder

Includes the necessary templates, tools and multimedia tutorials for creating and publishing Internet and intranet Web sites and pages in minutes. This easy-to-use software is designed to appeal to the ever-growing community using Linux as both a development platform and a Web server environment.

IBM Suites Installer

This tool assists in the distributed installation and configuration of the suite components and other applications, providing a quick and easy way for customers to install the software.

WebSphere Studio

Is a complete set of tools integrated and designed to support all Web development levels, permitting content authors, graphic artists, page scripters, Web programmers and webmasters to work on the same projects simultaneously. WebSphere Studio features automated Web site building, Java applications and a host of other design and publishing capabilities.

Domino Designer

This rapid Web site design and development tool is used to bring back office data to the Web and implement e-business processes using HTML authoring, site/page design, frameset design and application preview.


 Wolfram Announces Mathematica 4.1

November 27, 2000--Champaign, IL: Wolfram Research, Inc. announces the release of Mathematica 4.1, the latest version of their technical computing system. Mathematica now supports all major Linux platforms natively. With Mathematica 4.1 and Parallel Computing Toolkit, the Linux clusters popular in both academic and commercial settings can easily solve large-scale problems. There are currently more than 150 users of this powerful combination, including the Cornell Theory Center.

Product details are available at www.wolfram.com/products/mathematica/newin41.


 Omnis Studio 3.0 now brings business solutions to the web even faster

Omnis Software has announced the release of Omnis Studio 3.0, the latest version of their 4GL rapid application development (RAD) program. The new release incorporates extensive changes to their web server and Web ClientT technologies, significantly speeding up web-based business applications. It also includes a range of other enhancements to make the development experience more intuitive, easier to use, and more powerful.

Omnis Studio is a high-performance visual RAD tool that provides a component-based environment for building GUI interfaces within e-commerce, database and client/server applications. Development and deployment of Omnis Studio applications can occur simultaneously in Linux, Windows, and Mac OS environments without changing the application code.

A demonstration copy of Omnis Studio 3.0 can be downloaded from the web site: www.omnis.net and more details of the new version are available at: www.omnis.net/v3.


 Backup Utility Integrated into Linux NetworX Evolocity Clusters

SANDY, Utah, Nov. 8, 2000: Linux NetworX, Inc. announced today the integration of BRU(TM) Backup & Restore Utility into its Evolocity(TM) cluster solutions. BRU is an award winning backup software solution for Linux systems from Enhanced Software Technologies, Inc..

The reliability of tape device technology today is extremely high, but the potential for errors on the tapes following the writing of the archive can still occur in some cases. BRU has the ability to effectively detect and recover from errors when reading a tape to allow successful completion of the restore.

Evolocity cluster systems include computational hardware, ClusterWorX(TM) management software, RapidFlow(TM) 10/100 and Gigabit Ethernet Switch, applications, and storage, including the BRU backup utility.


 Tribes(tm) 2 Coming to Linux: Beta Testers Needed

Tustin, California - November 9, 2000: Loki Software, Inc., publisher of commercial games for the Linux operating system, announces an agreement with Sierra Studios(tm) to bring the highly-anticipated Tribes(tm) 2 to Linux.

Loki is porting this first-person action game alongside the Windows development, and is now accepting beta tester applications for the Linux version. Interested participants should visit www.lokigames.com and complete an online registration form.


 Mahogany 0.60 GTK+/Win32 mail client with Python scripting

A new release of the `Mahogany' e-Mail and News client has been made. Mahogany is an OpenSource cross-platform mail and news client. It is available for X11/Unix and MS Windows platforms, supporting a wide range of protocols and standards, including POP3, IMAP and full MIME support as well as secure communications via SSL. Thanks to its built-in Python interpreter it can be extended far beyond its original functionality.

Source and binaries for a variety of Linux and Unix systems are available at http://mahogany.sourceforge.net/ and http://sourceforge.net/projects/mahogany/

Binaries for Win32 systems and Debian packages will also be made available shortly.


 Opera for Linux Beta2

The latest beta of Opera for Linux is available at Opera.com.


 Announcing GtkRadiant 1.1 Beta for Linux and Win32

Loki Software, Inc. and QERadiant.com are pleased to release GtkRadiant 1.1 beta for Linux and Win32. GtkRadiant is a cross-platform version of the Quake III Arena level editor Q3Radiant. GtkRadiant offers several improvements over Q3Radiant and many new features.

For more information, please visit http://www.qeradiant.com/gtkradiant.shtml.


 Open Source Development Toolkit from Epitera

LAS VEGAS - November 15, 2000: AbsoluteX, a new Open Source development toolkit, was officially launched at COMDEX 2000 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. AbsoluteX is an X-Window developer toolkit created by Epitera ( http://www.epitera.com ) to streamline and facilitate the process of developing customized GUIs (graphical user interfaces) for Linux. It is available for free download at ( http://www.absolutex.org ). Epitera believes AbsoluteX will help get Linux out of the exclusive IT world and into the mainstream desktop world of home, work and novice users.


 Open Motif available on IA64 TurboLinux

Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc. have announced the first port of Motif to the upcoming IA64 platform from Intel. ICS says that this is important for the Linux community, because most of the existing Enterprise applications written for UNIX platforms (e.g., Suns, HP, SGI, etc.) use Motif as a GUI toolkit. Without the port of Motif to the IA64, it will be difficult and expensive for Enterprises to migrate to Linux.

A full press release is available. The software is also available for download from: http://www.motifzone.net/download/dldform.php


Copyright © 2000, Michael Conry and the Editors of Linux Gazette.
Copying license http://www.linuxgazette.com/copying.html
Published in Issue 60 of Linux Gazette, December 2000
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