On the 25th IBM released beta compilers for Mac OSX, there is both a c/c++ and a fortran compiler, these compilers is for use with the G5/PPC970 processor. Elsewhere, on a TechNewsWorld review it is stated that "while decidedly Apple, Xserve puts to shame many of the Linux distributions available by tying together the diverse number of applications that are needed to administer an equivalent Linux server into a simple, GUI-driven interface."

Ch is a superset of C language. It parses and executes C code directly without intermediate code or byte code. It does not distinguish interpreted code from compiled C/C++ code. The new Ch 4.0 is the most complete C interpreter in existence and is embeddable in other programs and hardware.

Today, Mozilla 1.5 Beta, the next version from the Mozilla Team was released. As per usual; Linux, MacOSX and Windows packages are available. A spellchecker for Messenger and Composer in addition to many bugfixes are just some of the updates in this beta. For more info, read the release Notes.

Red Hat is making no secret of the fact that it's trying to focus on revenue-generating enterprise customers, even if that means losing throngs of small users who provide little to no revenue. Many of the largest hosting companies use Red Hat Linux, but as the company changes its focus, that may change, especially if Red Hat is slow to release important patches for non-paying customers, says a Netcraft report.

This column explains how to write secure applications; it focuses on the Linux operating system, but many of the principles apply to any system. In today's networked world, software developers must know how to write secure programs, yet this information isn't widely known or taught. This first installment of the Secure programmer column introduces the basic ideas of how to write secure applications and discusses how to identify the security requirements for your specific application. Future installments will focus on different common vulnerabilities and how to prevent them.

For an alternative OS to be a viable desktop contender, it must have a good web browser. Mac OS X's biggest stumbling block at its introduction was its limited selection of (slow) web browsers. Things have changed. Now there are more than 9 to choose from. Ars Technica has a head-to-head comparison. Gecko-based browsers stand out in speed and functionality, but look like ports, while Safari earns the top spot for just being well put together. In a similar vein Mac P2P outlines the various P2P options for Mac users.