An article about the Visual Component Framework was posted on DevChannel (here and here) a few weeks ago that developers on Slashdot might be interested in. It introduces the Visual Component Framework, a relatively new (project has been in progress for around 3 years) C++ application framework. Built to target Win32 systems first, it is now in the process of being ported to linux (using GTK) and OS X (using Carbon).

As if the SCO Group doesn't have their hands full with the MyDoom worm, recent updates in the Linux lawsuits have caused quite a stir. The folks at Groklaw have transcribed all of the documentation in which SCO details the code they claim to own. But now it looks like SCO's argument, which is based on their definition of "derivative code," may be contradicted by AT&T, who not only wrote the original code, but wrote about this exact scenario in $echo ...in 1985!

Microsoft is moving ahead with plans to deliver its XML programming language to programmers inside and outside the company. Recently OSNews posted an exclusive first look to the Xen language.

OpenOffice.org 1.1.1b was released not too long ago, so FlexBeta decided to take it for a spin and see how well it competed against MS Office 2003.

Joe Shaw from Ximian released recently Open Carpet 0.2: This new version fixes some problems with multiple channels and now requires that the user supply the ChannelID directive in the channel config. Hopefully, enthusiasts around the world will join Joe in the developments of Open Carpet to add more functionality and support for more package formats (e.g. Slackware's, Solaris' or FreeBSD's) that will result to a nice, portable, package management front-end application for Unix and Linux.

Microsoft this week started beta testing its Virtual Server, a program that enables a single server to run multiple operating systems. Microsoft has also released build 1159 of Windows Server 2003 SP1 to their beta testers this evening.

ekkoBSD as a core OS offers security, stability, and flexability to your infrastructure. Feature enhancements include ekkoBSD native binaries, new fdialog features, fetch/libfetch, new applications in bin/sbin, and a new installation guide. The GUI installer (EINSTein) is still not functional in this release.

I considered reviewing Debian for this article. I downloaded a copy of Debian 3.0r2, making sure to get the disk with the 2.4 kernel. Everything you've heard about Debian being difficult to install? It's not totally true, but it's pretty close. I really wanted to try Debian, though, if only to use the vaunted apt-get system. I'd tried apt-rpm on a previous Red Hat installation, and it was great. Since Debian was turning out to be too difficult to put together, I decided to look for a debian-based distro.

The latest GNOME Development Release is ready for testing. It is available for immediate download on ftp.gnome.org and mirrors.

"Red Hat Professional Workstation was designed to allow former users of the company's consumer product line to continue to use a supported platform without having to migrate to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Unfortunately, it fails to live up to its predecessors in key areas, and is considerably more expensive in some usage scenarios. Home users should look to the Fedora Project if they wish to continue using Red Hat technology, or consider migrating to another Linux distribution. Small businesses should analyse their current expenditure and consider migrating to another vendor." Read the rest of the article at NewsForge.

OpenOffice.org has offered a free, open XML file format for over 3 years, while Microsoft has just begun to introduce their own implementation of XML in their new office suite products. MS is attempting to patent their software's internal methods of handling XML as well as their own XML schemas.

"These days, embedded Linux pretty much means TiVo, a Sharp Zaurus handheld, or the wireless LAN gateway you may having running at home. Although EL is not exactly taking IT by storm at the moment -- and because a whole lot of experimental EL products have come and gone quickly -- it is nonetheless establishing its own place in the world. And there are those who firmly believe that EL will play an increasingly important role in gadgets to come." Read the rest of the article at NewsForge.

"Sisler High school is the largest high school in Manitoba, with approximately 1,600 students and 120 staff members on campus. The school offers many computer courses at different levels, ranging from computer programming and office skills to vocational subjects, such as trouble-shooting personal computers, networking and advanced operating systems. In 2002, due to a letter from CAAST (Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft), the school spent more than $50,000 to make sure we had all the necessary licenses for our software." Read the rest of the article at LinuxJournal.

An internal Apple memo has been posted that states that Apple has just paid off its remaining $300 million in debt and is now debt-free. This concludes an amazing journey that has taken the company from a debt of $1 billion in Apple's darkest days to the current cash reserves of $4.8 billion.