Linux Archive

Terra Soft Solutions, Inc., the leading developer of integrated PowerPC Linux solutions announced today availability of Apple computers with Yellow Dog Linux pre-installed. Terra Soft, an Apple Authorized VAR, is able to provide custom configured stand-alone units or clusters while maintaining the full Apple warranty. While installation of Linux on PowerPC has greatly improved, pre-installed systems boot directly to Yellow Dog Linux, saving time with installation and configuration.

You can use a mirror to download the latest stable Linux kernel 2.4.19, released today. Changelog, patch, full source are available. An XFS patch for 2.4.19 should be ready by next week.

This Cosmoe release's major features: Improved autoconf support for DirectFB, autoconf support for building Cosmoe to run in an X window (--enable-xwindows), mouse changed to /dev/mouse from /dev/psaux, better failure cases for the video driver loading, so if Cosmoe fails to load you're not stuck with a dead keyboard, incorporation of contributed bug fixes for Aedit and Aterm. Features coded but not included in this release: Sed scripts to convert Atheos programs to Cosmoe. Download here, read the mailing list here.

"When the hordes of volunteer programmers who make up the open-source movement met this week for their annual convention in San Diego, one constituency was conspicuously absent: entrepreneurs. Many start-ups that tried to make money from open-source software have already gone bust, and many of those that have survived are in a sorry state." The Linux kernel is not anymore just the hacker's kernel, hacking code in his bedroom. Most of the work these days is done by big companies like Red Hat, IBM, Mandrake and even Sun. The Economist comments on the subject.

"While I normally turn a cold shoulder to all those increasingly arcane ways of dividing people into two groups we keep inventing, there's one that I think holds the key to Linux's prospects for success on the mainstream desktop." Read the article at LinuxAndMain.

"Mainframe Linux's near-term attraction is it relative ease of operation, not price per se. We project mainframe Linux will remain a shrinking niche, whose term will be defined by the dual mainframe/Wintel gaps of cost (widening) and management functionality (closing)." Read the analysis at ZDTechUpdate.

A good break down of what needs to be done for the Linux kernel 2.6 (which might be coming out as soon as in November) can be found on LWN and on KernelTrap.

"Turbolinux, one of the four main Linux commercializers, closed down on Monday, multiple sources say. The company could not be reached for comment late last night when reports started filtering in. It was after normal business hours anywhere in the US. If true, the unconfirmed disaster will be a black eye for the newfangled United Linux initiative that Turbo, Caldera, SuSE and Conectiva, all second stringers, put together a few weeks ago to prop each other up and create a common operating system platform to take up against Linux market leader Red Hat." Read the (unconfirmed yet) report at LinuxGram.

An interview with Robert Love is at KernelTrap. Robert is author of the kernel preemption patch which has been merged into the 2.5 development kernel. In this interview, Robert discusses the status of Linux kernel preemption, talks about his recent involvement with the O(1) scheduler and explains his recent VM overcommit work. He also reflects upon Linus' use of Bitkeeper, the future of Linux, and the recent Kernel Summit in Ottawa.

Adam Wiggins has put together 10 reasons of what he believes it is wrong with Linux today. Our Take: Some of his points seem correct, but others are already fixed for most distributions. I really had a smile in my face reading his point No 5. It is exactly what I was talking about 2 weeks ago, and only the Amiga, OSX and BeOS-6/Dano people were able to follow of what it really means to have a smooth desktop! Read the discussion and explanation starting here and especially here.

The new Linux kernel maintainer speaks to ZDNet UK about opportunities for Linux in applications big and small, and explains why UnitedLinux is a good idea.

The concept behind rxLinux, is to centralise configuration and management of multiple GNU/Linux servers. New servers can be deployed in minutes. A web interface is used to build custom iso cdrom dedicated for specific servers. Server, also called rxnodes, boot up from that cdrom and get the rest of configuration and software from a master server. No administration is done directly on nodes. Everything is controlled from the master servers. rxLinux is based on the GNU/Linux system and related Free tools, ensuring your Freedom as a user and an admin.

"In this article, I'll ignore for the sake of argument that I am a developer, and side with users. Nowadays we have tens of thousands of applications available for Linux. Some are simple, some are rather complex, some are huge. This ought to be enough to achieve world domination, according to some Linux proponents." Read the editorial at LinuxAndMain.

YDL 2.3 surpasses YDL 2.2 with an array of timely updates, improvements: kernel 2.4.19, the 'Liquid' theme, CUPS print system, apt-get, OpenOffice 1.0, Mozilla 0.9.9, Galeon 1.2, Evolution 1.0.5, AbiWord 1.0.2, netatalk 1.5.3.1, and support for the Radeon 7500 (excluding 'Mobility') video card among its 1000 packages spread across 3 CDs.