Red Hat Archive

Leading Linux seller Red Hat quietly released an updated version of its Advanced Server product last week that adds support for IBM's x440 server, an important expansion for both companies. IBM has high hopes for multiprocessor Xeon systems, Big Blue has been cooling toward Intel's Itanium processor, said Illuminata analyst Gordon Haff. IBM canceled a plan to release its own AIX version of Unix for Itanium servers and recently transferred a handful of programmers working on Linux for Itanium to work on Linux for IBM's Power server processors. Additionally, a third Phoebe beta of Red Hat Linux 8.1 is expected tomorrow for the x86 architecture.

"Red Hat Linux Advanced Server is the first Linux platform to receive certification for the Defense Information Infrastructure Common Operating Environment, the company’s chief technical officer announced..." This GCN article reports that Red Hat secured Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) approval to become an official DII COE 4.x kernel next to Sun Solaris 7, Hewlett-Packard HP-UX 10.20 and Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. Read more at GCN.

Leading Linux seller Red Hat is becoming more aggressive in pushing its premium operating system products, using support contracts, pricing changes and certification restrictions to drive customers and partners to its more expensive "advanced" line. Also, Sam's Club, the members-only branch of retail giant Wal-Mart, has entered the budget PC race with a $299 system running Red Hat Linux.

Joel Konkle-Parker pointed us to ballsome.com where they are investigating Red Hat 8 as a possible replacement for Windows XP on the desktop. Our Take: It's a decent article that outlines a lot of known issues, but serves as a nice reminder we're close, but not there yet.

In the third part of our Penguin Shootout series, Timothy R. Butler considers the latest distribution from the best-known name in the sector - Red Hat. With its much hyped and attacked BlueCurve interface and various other improvements, will 8 be the Shadowman's ticket to victory in the OfB challenge?

Thanks to Warren and Edgan who sent us two screenshots from the latest Red Hat beta released today. Warren sent us a KDE shot and Edgan sent us the modified Red Hat menu (a positive change if we might say, without the "Extras"). Update: A quick suggestion mockup for the menu.

Mojavelinux writes: 'Like most linux advocates, I too have that "interested" friend who wants to finally ditch windows (windows xp) and take the Linux "plunge" (as seen by that individual). After debating with myself over which installation to start him out with, I decided to go with RedHat 8.0 simply because it has been classified as one of the most "newbie" oriented distros thanks to the "integrated" look and the superb documentation, and because it has a free download. Was my choice the right one and how did he react to it? Read on to learn exactly how a person who has never seen linux reacts when a long time user attempts to show that person "the ropes."'

"Linux software vendor Red Hat plans to fortify its desktop Linux lineup by shipping Red Hat Linux 8.1 in April, a 32-bit technical workstation this quarter and a full-fledged corporate desktop in the next six to 12 months, the company confirmed. While the company plans to continue to position its Red Hat Linux 8.0 as a consumer-oriented product, it is gearing up for a corporate desktop in late 2003, said Mark De Visser, Red Hat's chief marketing officer." Read the news at CRN.

"The future of the Linux desktop? At least, I hope the new unified look and feel of Red Hat 8.0 is a hint at the future that the Linux desktop is moving to. There has been some adverse reaction from the Linux community toward the new interface. I am not one of the detractors. I appreciate that Red Hat is making a contribution to Linux and I also believe that it is the direction that the Linux desktop should be taking." This is a look at Red Hat 8.0 that focuses on the direction it sets for the future of the Linux desktop. Read the full article at Librenix.

dave_sn alerted us to the news first reported by Distrowatch, "Just in time to interfere with our last-minute Christmas shopping - an unexpected new beta release from Red Hat, code-named "Phoebe" and numbered as 8.0.92 has hit the mirrors." Release notes can be found here.

"Well Red Hat came out with 8.0 and I was cautioned about trying out a new release and that maybe I should wait for 8.1 to come out. I was going to follow that advice but I got tired of my sound not working so I decided it's either going to be Red Hat 8.0 or back to Windows XP, but one way or the other my sound was going to work." Read the full article at Linux Orbit.

"Winning respect is now the least of the open-source movement's concerns. Future struggles may involve political and political challenges in copyright law or digital rights management or intellectual property issues, according to Tiemann, nowadays chief technology officer at Linux seller Red Hat." Read the interview at C|Net.

Software vendor Red Hat will align its workstation and server OSes to encourage the development of more applications. Another article, says that immediately after its release and apart from the usual rough edges of every .0 version, Red Hat 8.0 generated a lot of heat. Much of it came from the Bluecurve desktop and from the changes RH made to standard KDE.

"The version I've been using is Red Hat Linux 8.0, shipped by Raleigh, N.C.-based Red Hat in late September. This is the first Linux distribution I've tried that hasn't made me feel as if I'm about to step on a rake and have its handle swing into my face. Parts of this are still infuriatingly convoluted, but if you've been thinking about trying out Linux on part of your hard drive -- or about dumping Windows entirely -- this is what I'd recommend." Read more at WashingtonPost.