We got Linux distributions for geeks (Debian), distros for businessmen (Red Hat), home users (Mandrake) and... Germans (SuSE :). However, there was never before a distribution specifically targetting developers and speed, both at the same time. Enter Gentoo Linux, the fastest loading, fastest-operating Linux distribution to date.

Microsoft has released a 22 MB Windows Update through their web-based update utility that includes a recommended critical update, a cd-burning fix, a backwards compatibility fix for older Windows versions, and for the first time, Microsoft includes the .NET Framework runtime (20 MB alone - Japanese version also available), which allows users to run .NET applications. While the runtime was available for some time now through the .NET development page at Microsoft's web pages, it is the first time they actually include it by default to the Windows Update, for large public consumption. Update: For the developers who would like to have a look or develop for the .NET Framework but do not own Visual Studio .NET, I would recommend to download the 137 MB of the SDK (which does not include an IDE or debugger, but the rest of the tools needed are there) and this free (GPL) IDE, SharpDevelop.

CRUX is a lightweight, i686-optimized Linux distribution targeted at experienced Linux users. In the new version (195 MB ISO), there are about 45 package updates including glibc 2.2.5, XFree86 4.2, and kernel 2.4.18. Mozilla 0.9.9 is now the default browser. Pkgutils 4.1 provides means to protect selected configuration files from being overwritten when upgrading packages.

Lance M. Westerhoff has written an interesting article over at AppleLust.com, regarding the history of the BSD UNIX. The article talks about the first versions of BSD and continues with the story of BSDi, NetBSD, OpenBSD, FreeBSD and it concludes with Darwin and MacOSX.

"I’ve been having a discussion with someone from IBM about whether it’s ever possible for Free Software to have a nice human interface. In theory, I think it is possible. But in practice, the vast majority of open-source projects are also volunteer projects; and it seems that the use of volunteers to drive development inevitably leads the interface design to suck. The reasons are many and varied, and maybe one day I’ll turn this into a long and heavily-referenced essay. But in the meantime, here’s a summary." Matthew Thomas, a Mozilla contributor, explains why not many of the Free applications feature a good UI like most of their commercial counterparts do.

Bradley Kuhn, vice president of the Free Software Foundation, says the organization is contacting LindowsOS representatives because the company has not included source code with its "sneak preview" releases. Lindows CEO Michael Robertson says his company will comply with the GPL when the product is released to the public. Read more in the NewsForge article. Update by ELQ: Open letter to Lindows' CEO Michael Robertson from Bruce Perens has just been published at NewsForge.

The Open For Business web site features a review of the OEone Homebase 1.3 operating system. OEone is based on Red Hat, however its user interface is brand new, it has been written from scratch (in the Mozilla XUL API). The company behind OEone also sells machines with their software pre-installed, a software developed in such a way to resemble something between an Internet Appliance and a light iMac-like office workstation. OEone is something to definately check out, since they offer more than IAs do, however they are built in such a way to be simplistic, just like IAs. An older review of both the OEone machine and software can be found at NewsForge.

The editor in chief at Java Developer's Journal has published a piece debunking the three more spreaded myths about C#, in a wake up call effort for the Java community, trying to show that .NET is not to be underestimated and C#, technically-speaking, is not "bad" as some Java-heads think it is. On a related article, Joel Spolsky, from the JoelOnSoftware fame, wrote an article about where his company and himself personally stand on the Microsoft proposition for a new global API, the .NET Framework.

The reporters of a French Amiga magazine called AmigaPower have been so kind to post some pictures of an AmigaOne computer running TurboLinux. Initial AmigaOne ATX motherboards come with a soldered 600 MHz G3 PowerPC CPU, built-in 10/100 ethernet, USB, AGP (2xSpeed), AC97 Soundchip, MC97 modem, UDMA100 IDE controller and costs 600 Euros (ex. VAT). A more expensive version is expected to be released later this year, having a socketed CPU and a 4xSpeed AGP bus, which will allow the installation of one or two G4 processors. Boards can be pre-ordered from Computer City, KDH Datentechnik and Vesalia.

"Is Microsoft out to get HTTP? That was the implication of a news article that appeared a couple months ago, but the story overstated matters a bit. As Microsoft XML Web services architect Don Box said in a conversation with me, HTTP is way too pervasive not to dominate Web services for some time now. But it's still a less-than-ideal protocol for much of what's planned for Web services." Editorial at ZDNews.

In his first article about Jython, Noel Rappin discussed the features of the Python scripting language and its Jython implementation that would be of greatest interest to Java programmers. Jython is a complete implementation of the Python programming language written in 100% pure Java, and allows easy access to Java libraries. This article contains 10 tips for using Java objects in Jython.

"Like almost all things in life, good security costs good money. It has to be that way, because there are simply not enough skilled security specialists to look after all of the networks that need their attention. An unfortunate result of low supply and high demand is the migration of highly skilled personnel to clients who can meet their salary requirements. This leaves a lot of small and underfunded networks in the hands of less experienced administrators, who might not know how to design, configure, and monitor these networks' safety mechanisms." Read the second part of the article at OReillyNet. First part, here.

Mike Kestner announced today his C# bindings for the well-known GUI Toolkit, GTK+ 2.x. To compile the examples you will still need a Win32 machine with the (freely available on Microsoft.com) .NET Framework installed (137+20 MB for the SDK, 20 MB for the runtime), as the project is not yet self-hosted under Linux. What this means is that developers soon will be able to write C# applications for GNOME.

"Microsoft has quietly shelved a consumer information service that was once planned as the centerpiece of the company's foray into the market for tightly linked Web services. The service, originally code-named Hailstorm and later renamed My Services, was to be the clearest example of the company's ambitious .Net strategy. It was intended to permit an individual to keep an online persona independent of his or her desktop computer, supposedly safely stored as part of a vast data repository where there could be easy access to it from any point on the Internet. At the time of the introduction of My Services, Microsoft also proclaimed that it would have a set of prominent partners in areas like finance and travel for the My Services system. However, according to both industry consultants and Microsoft partners, after nine months of intense effort the company was unable to find any partner willing to commit itself to the program." Read the rest of the report at Yahoo!News. It's worth noting that this is quite a setback for Microsoft's overall .NET strategy.