Python 2.3 has just been released. Changes, Release Notes and Highlights for more info.

Fueled by lean IT budgets that demand results and a successful round of VC funding, Astaro is experiencing demand from small and large businesses that want an integrated solution for security with no vendor lock-in. DesktopLinux.com recently caught up with Astaro CEO Jan Hichert to discover that the company is not only developing Linux-only solutions, but has embraced open source practices, philosophy, and is even considering offering an OS-development fund.

In order to address a potentially serious (although rare) server startup failure that was recently reported, PostgreSQL version 7.3.4 was released. This release is critical for users of PostgreSQL version 7.3.3, and highly recommended for all other PostgreSQL users. This release, as with all minor releases, does not require a dump/reload to be upgraded.

Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced the Solaris 9 8/03 Operating System for the SPARC and x86 platforms. The fourth update to the Solaris 9 Operating System, Solaris 9 8/03 features the integration of GNOME 2.0. Update: Sun releases Solaris 10 preview.

The KDE Project announced KDE 3.1.3 today. It's the third maintenance release of the successful KDE 3.1.x series and ships with many bugfixes and improved translations. KDE 3.1.3 also contains a fix for a possible http authentication leak in the http referrer header. Info, changelog.

Microsoft on Tuesday announced plans for new development tools, as the company continues to lay the groundwork for its next major database and operating system software releases.

In an excerpt from the forthcoming book ShaderX2 - Introduction and Tutorials with DirectX 9, Craig Peeper and Jason Mitchell present a detailed introduction to the Microsoft DirectX High Level Shading Language, including a number of example shaders and optimization strategies.

"To investigate SuSE’s Linux Desktop, which is based on the company’s Linux Enterprise Server technology, we ran it alongside a number of Windows systems in a ‘live’ editorial production environment for around two weeks. The idea was to see how well this business-oriented operating system/application software bundle worked for a moderately technical user working in a Windows-dominated world." Read the review at ZDNet.

"As most Encompass members know, HP has promised — at some point in the future — to integrate Tru64 RAS components, DLM support and TruCluster software into HP-UX. As for HP’s "Consolidated Enterprise UNIX," the effort will be infinitely more difficult, and HP’s progress in this regard bears close attention. SKHPC advises current Alpha/Tru64 users to "stay the course" with Tru64 UNIX V5.1B." Read the analysis at EnompasUS site, an HP User Group.

The next generation of desktop computers is coming, and here's why it matters. New processors coming soon from Advanced Micro Devices and Apple suggest 64-bit computing will make its way to a desktop near you this year. But what does that really mean for you?

Xandros, Inc. has released a 1.1 edition of Xandros Desktop Deluxe. Version 1.1 enhancements include: Support for Microsoft Office XP and Adobe Photoshop 7.0, Mozilla 1.3.1 with spell checking and spam filtering, OpenOffice.org office suite 1.0.3, Evolution groupware client 1.2.4, enhanced hardware detection, Intel i830/845/855 graphics drivers. Xandros Desktop Deluxe 1.1 includes a printed user guide, a Technology Preview CD, and 30 days of e-mail installation support.

Today it was reported that IE6's global usage share continues to rise. Internet Explorer 6 has shown a fast adoptation rate with a global usage share of 66.3% and it has a total global usage share of 95.4%.

Red Hat has released a public beta of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.9.95 (Advanced Server and Workstation versions) for i386, ia64 and AMD64.

Apple has confirmed to the Register Panther, aka Mac OS X 10.3, will not be a fully 64-bit operating system. Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of hardware product marketing, this week admitted that Panther will be a 32-bit operating system tweaked to support 64-bit addressing. Joswiak himself says: "The important thing for us we didn't want to create a separate OS that is 64 bits. What is essential is that this OS and this hardware will run 32-bit applications with no recompiling - it will just run them."