Vanishing Features of the 2.6 Kernel

"Many developers are eagerly awaiting the 2.6 Linux kernel. The feature freeze has passed, with a code freeze planned for January and final release slated for the second quarter of 2003. There is considerable excitement about anticipated enhancements, especially regarding scalability and performance. However, some developers may first notice what doesn't work anymore. Some techniques and APIs have been removed, and existing device drivers and modular plugins may no longer work. At the same time, it will take some time to take advantage of new features and to find replacements for old ones." Read the article at OnLamp.

Microsoft on Custom XPs

"Last year, Microsoft merged its two Windows lines--9x/Me and NT/2000--into one, Windows XP. Now the company is launching three new XP-based products. To learn why, PC World editors Harry McCracken and Yardena Arar interviewed Microsoft's top Windows guy--Jim Allchin, vice president for Microsoft's Platforms Group. Here's a partial transcript of the conversation." Read it at PCWorld.

Advantages of OpenMosix on IBM Linux xSeries

This article is part 3 of a 3-part series. In Part 1, you got an introduction to the current clustering technologies available for Linux and and an introduction to openMosix. In Part 2, you got a fully-functional openMosix cluster configured and running. Now, in Part 3, you'll see some ways to use openMosix to tackle computing challenges with clusters built on IBM xSeries servers running Intel® Xeon™ Making use of performance-enhancing technologies such as Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology.

CRUX 1.0 Released

"CRUX is a lightweight, i686-optimized Linux distribution targeted at experienced Linux users. The primary focus of this distribution is "keep it simple", which is reflected in a simple tar.gz-based package system, BSD-style initscripts, and a relatively small collection of trimmed packages." CRUX 1.0 has been released, ISOs are now avaiblabe for download. Checkout the change log for a list of new/changed packages.

Microsoft Upgrades Flaw to “Critical”

"For the second time in a week, Microsoft acknowledged that its initial estimation of a software flaw underrated the true threat posed by the vulnerability. The Redmond, Wash., giant said Thursday it plans to change the severity of a vulnerability in software common to Internet Explorer and other Windows applications from "important" to "critical." The move was prompted by an in-depth analysis written by the security researchers who found the flaw." Read the rest at ZDNet.

Setting Up a Linux Terminal Server

William G. Canaday writes for Newsforge, "When my wife asked me to remove Windows and install Linux on her computer, I was happy to oblige. She is familiar with Linux from watching me use it and was quite upset that Windows had lost her desktop photograph -- again. This gave me an excuse to try setting up a terminal / server network." His article discusses his experience with LTSP, the Linux Terminal Server Project. Read the rest at Newsforge.

Distrowatch: Libranet 2.7 – Debian Made Easy

Ladislav Bodnar writes "Libranet GNU/Linux, a commercial Linux distribution based on Debian, has been given increasingly positive coverage in Linux media. Its recipe for success is simple - it attempts to remedy some of the often cited shortcomings of Debian proper, by providing a simple installer, user-friendly system configuration tools and up-to-date selection of software packages. Combine that with a friendly user community and you have a winner. Let us investigate what Libranet is about and why you should give it a serious thought when choosing your Linux distribution." Read the rest of the review at Distrowatch.