“The Walt Disney Company, the doyen of animation studios, is joining Hollywood’s embrace of a technological upstart — the GNU Linux operating system. Disney’s animation division is announcing today that it plans to use Hewlett-Packard workstations and data-serving computers running Linux for digital animation work in the future.”
Category:
Raju Mathur (raju@linux-delhi.org) reports on what’s happening at a venture
to take GNU/Linux to schools in and around Delhi:
The archives for the Linux for Schools (LEAP) project mailing list
(mailto:school@linux-delhi.org) are now available at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/school%40linux-delhi.org/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SOME NAMES THAT COME UP: Girish (girish@apnajabalpur.com)has some
suggestions for names for the LinuxInSchools project. How about, he asks,
shiksha-Linux or gurukuLinux or Linux-school..and combinations thereof?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GNU/LINUX IN GOA SCHOOLS: Ashley Delaney (elaneyashley@softhome.net)
reports from Goa that the Goa Schools Computers Project (GSCP) is going
about implementing LTSP in schools. Some 21 schools were selected on basis
of space, necessity and support to be equipped and networked by the gscp,”
he writes. Goa was one of the early experiments trying to implement
GNU/Linux in schools, after getting support, some amount of free training
for teachers, and a free software offer from Red Hat. Check
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gscp
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GNU/Linux UTILITIES FOR EDUCATION, THE GLUE OF IT ALL: B.P Ajith Kumar
collection of GNU/Linux based software on a CD”. GLUE comes from GNU/Linux
Utilities for Education. For details, contact Ajith Kumar. If you’re around
Delhi Tel/Fax 011 689 3666, Tel/Home 011 689 7867 and Tel/Work 011 689 3955.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE PENGUIN AS ENGINEER: Want to contribute to an effort to package useful
GNU/Linux engineering tools (for students) on a CD?
To check out more about this group, visit:
http://mm.ilug-bom.org.in/mailman/search/college-distro/
Check the archives to see what the idea is all about.
Put briefly, the idea is simply to compile a whole range of useful and
‘free’ software that engineering students from this ‘talent-rich,
resource-poor’ country of a thousand million-plus can effectively use in
their studies and work.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LIFE, LINUX IN EDUCATION: First to initiate the above project was Nagarjuna
G, a scientist and keen Free Software proponent at the Homi Bhabha Centre
for Science Education. Working out of the Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research in the Indian commercial capital of Mumbai (formerly Bombay),
Nagarjuna incidentally is also the founder of the Linux-in-Education (LIFE)
mailing list. See details at
http://mm.hbcse.tifr.res.in/mailman/listinfo/life
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CAN FREE SOFTWARE HELP POOR KIDS? David Babington-Smith, the project manager
of Wire the World is on the search for “a portfolio of practical, vocational
training courses for poor kids which can be taught in an open source
environment”. Says he: “I am working on a project called ‘Wire the World’
(www.wiretheworld.org). We aggregrate vocationally-based IT courses to
retrain poor kids and school drop outs around the world, for the workplace.
There are pilot projects in Bombay and Bangalore currently using MS software
and offering MS and programming courses. We are investigating the
feasibility of a new pilot in a school in a Bombay slum but using open
source s/w. The school would teach its own students during the day, and make
the premises available to the street kids / school drop-outs in the evening.
The obvious advantage of using open source s/w is it strips down the
school’s running costs. I am trying to identify a suitable portfolio of
vocational training courses for poor kids, which could be taught on in open
source environment. The idea is to teach courses that could get the kids
into work fairly quickly, though it may be micro-enterprise type jobs such
as computer maintanance, data entry, database design, web design etc. The
profile of students is likely to be 15-25 year old, semi-literate, possibly
non-English medium.” More details from: Wire The World Oasis Trust 115
Southwark Bridge Rd London SE1 OAX, UK Direct Line – +44 (0)20 7450 9045
Switchboard – +44 (0)20 7450 9000 Mobile: + 44 (0)7789873540 Fax: +44(0)20
7450 9001 www.wiretheworld.org
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FEATURING ASIAN GNU/LINUX COMPANIES: Martin Seto of Linux Journal
(seto@ssc.com)says the mag is planning to feature Asian companies and
needs “your help”. Comments Seto: “I am contacting all LUG’s in Asia that
have supported our efforts in promoting Linux worldwide. And I am asking for
some help in our search for Linux based product and services from your
country. In our efforts to promote Asian companies, we invite you to help
spread the world amongst your colleagues and fellow Linux freaks.” Any
company can put a free listing in the guide for a whole year. Great products
will be showcased in the ‘product of the day’ program. See
http://www.linuxjournal.com/bg to learn more about the Buyers Guide.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LINUX AID SERVER: This is not *from* India, but could be of interest to
GNU/Linux enthusiasts in India. Matthew Grant (rantma@anathoth.gen.nz)
writes in to say that The Linux Aid Server Mailing list is “now running,
after hours of work that also involved a server OS upgrade, and lots of work
reconfiguring the WWW server”. You can subscribe to the mailing list by
going to: http://lists.anathoth.gen.nz/aid-server The preliminary file
serving and printer side of the Aid server is almost complete, and work this
week wiill be concentraing on e-mail setup and virus scanning, as well as
smoothing the WWW admin interface.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
QMAILTHEEASYWAY.COM … FROM MUMBAI: Trevor Warren (revorwarren@yahoo.com)
points to www.qmailtheeasyway.com, the project he’s running for the past one
year. It is a “complete mail server based on qmail for ISP’s, dialup users
and service providers”. Mumbai-based Warren reminds us that he is ranked
within the first 200 on Freshmeat.net. Says he, with understandable pride:
“(I) aint boasted to ny 1 yet but yeh it is in the top 200 of the worlds
largets free software repository…:)” He promises “lot more firewall, IDs
and security projects” coming up. You can contact him via mobile 9820349221
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LOOKING BEYOND INDIA, AND INTO SOUTH ASIA, Ovais Khan
Dawn’ about the creation of Task Forces in Pakistan for Linux, secure
networks, e-commerce. See details at www.tremu.gov.pk
Couldn’t read the advert, but a friend from across the border had intimated
of plans to advertise plans to set up a Task Force for Linux on the
following lines: “The Government of Pakistan is committing itself to the
reduction of Piracy and the protection of Intellectual Property. In this one
element is the development of open source technologies and LINUX is going to
be the corner stone of this initiative. This Task Force is expected to pull
together committed professionals (e.g. PLUC), Academicians, practicing
software people to set up future directions for Pakistan. This TF will have
meetings, seminars and conferences to propagate and educate the user
community at large. They will also come out with R&D programs for creating
projects to be funded by the Government for the creation of user friendly
Client/ Server software, training strategies, usage in the development of
applications including local language software development, proposal for
induction into the syllabus, etc., as well as focused training programs.
If you are interested n participating please do fill out the requisite forms
on our TReMU website. You can also contact us on: linux@tremu.gov.pk,
however the submission of forms via the website is mandatory.”
Keeping conflict aside for a change, let’s admit this is interesting…
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CDs… AT A (NOT-SO-UNAFFORDABLE) PRICE: G.T.Enterprises from Bangalore is
doing an interesting job at spreading affordable GNU/Linux CDs across India
K.M. Chidananda
“one stop shop for Linux/BSD/Solaris”. This time’s “headlines” are:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DOWN FROM THE DEEP SOUTH, TAMIL AND GNU/LINUX: J. Patricia Annie JebaMalar
(pat@lantana.tenet.res.in) updates us on some interesting GNU/Linux
experiments happening down south, in the Tamil heartland. And elsewhere.
Perhaps to call these “experiments” would be unfair… some have already
attained a surprising stage of functionality:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LINKS FROM AROUND KARNATAKA? Graham Seaman (graham@seul.org) is keen to find
out more details or links about this story, which mentions Karnataka in
India: http://newsforge.com/newsforge/02/05/22/143245.shtml?tid=11 Says he:
“Tried googling and couldn’t find anything, and the NIC pages only refer to
Microsoft, as far as I can see…” Please help out if you can.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IBM’S OFFER FOR DEVELOPERS IN INDIA AND ELSEWHERE: IBM offers Third World
developers a chance to get access to software tools as part of their
“Speed-start your Linux app” program. It offers, on free CD to developers,
some versions of WebSphere, DB2 and/or Lotus Domino (licences apply in some
cases). You can get the free 2CD set. “developerWorks is IBM’s resource for
developers, providing tools, code, and education for open standards-based
development. developerWorks offers resources related to Linux, Web services,
XML, Java technologies, Wireless, and emerging technologies, as well as
technical information about IBM software like WebSphere and DB2(R).
Developer resources and IBM products are also available on CDs through the
developerWorks Toolbox subscription.” ibm.com/developerWorks/linux
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[FOOTNOTE: We request readers to verify claims made by individuals about
their product or services before going in for the same.]
Category:
LinuxSecurity.com has the story.”
Category:
SCE 1.5 is available in two forms:
New features in SCE 1.5:
SCE Features
SCE is available from http://www.opensce.org/. Bugs report is can be sent to http://prg.cpe.ku.ac.th/bug/. Questions or comments can be directed to sce@prg.cpe.ku.ac.th.
Thank you for using SCE software!
What is SCE?
One of the problem with the wide adoption of clusters for mainstream high performance computing is the difficulty in building and managing the system.
There are many efforts in solving this problem by building fully automated, integrated stack of software distribution from several well known open source software.
The problem is that these set of software comes never been designed to work together as a truly integrated system. With the experiences and tools developed to
build many clusters in our site, we decided to build an integrate software tool that is easy to use for cluster user community. These software tools, called SCE
(Scalable Computing Environment), consists of cluster builder tool, complex system management tool (SCMS), scalable real-time monitoring, web base monitoring
software(KCAP), parallel unix command, and batch scheduler. These software run on top of our cluster middleware that provides cluster wide process control and
many services. MPICH are also included. All tools in SCE are designed to be truly integrated since all of them except MPI and PVM are built by our group. SCE also
provides more than 30 APIs to access system resources information, control remote process execution, ensemble management and more. These APIs and the
interaction among software components allows user to extends and enhance SCE in many way. SCE is also designed to be very easy to use. Most of the installation
and configuration are automated by complete GUI and Web.
Why use SCE?
It is easier to manage cluster than normal remote shell command by hacked shell script. Also, SCE collects and shows resource usage statistics for later analyzing. MPI users always get the fresh update host list. All jobs are queued and scheduled to automated discovery computing nodes.
How do I find out more about SCE?
There are many papers describing overview of SCE and its individual components in detail. All of them are available at http://www.opensce.org/. Questions may be
sent to sce@prg.cpe.ku.ac.th for more information. You can keep track of the development by subscribe to the mailing list at http://prg.cpe.ku.ac.th/mailman/sce.
“These computers do not ship with Microsoft Windows. They ship with an exciting
new UNIX based Operating System (OS) named Lindows. This exciting new OS
delivers the stability of UNIX with the ease of Windows and the ability to
run most Microsoft programs. These computer systems are a perfect low cost
alternative to
computers preloaded with Microsoft Windows.”
Today there’s slightly different
wording:
“Lindows is an exciting new
Linux based Operating System
(OS). This exciting new OS
delivers the stability of
Linux with the ease of
Windows. These computer
systems are a perfect low cost
alternative to computers
preloaded with Microsoft
Windows … and they
include a trial membership to a library of
over 1,000 software programs so they can be
outfitted for any purpose whether business,
home, or entertainment.”
Lindows’ PR rep Cheryl Schwarzman says that Walmart.com PC buyers are entitled
to download three (GPLed, mind you) applications for free from the Click-N-Run
Warehouse. “After that the users are encouraged to sign up to access the
thousands of applications available in the warehouse for $99.” Schwarzman adds
that with more than 1,300 applications in the warehouse, that comes to less than
8 cents per application.
The version of Lindows shipping on the Walmart.com PCs is identical to the
current Sneak Preview release (SPX), says Schwarzman, but has been tested and
certified to work, right out of the box, on the Microtel systems. “There is no
installation routine, or unknown hardware for us to deal with. [They] do a great
job for what they were intended … email, Web browsing, and using Click-N-Run to
get many more applications.”
Schwarzman says that both Microtel and Lindows plan to provide technical
support, but she did not offer details. Microtel spokesmen did not immediately
respond to our inquiries.
Category:
But we will be a leader amongst that community, being a trustworthy company and providing a trustworthy computing platform for them. We’ve set that out
as an absolute goal for the company. Bill [Gates] put out his memo four or five months ago about trustworthy computing, and we will work to get there. We
must do that. And so we will do that. ” More at ComputerWorld.com.
On Monday, Internet Security Systems (ISS) posted their discovery to the BugTraq
mailing list, without knowing the full extent of the flaw, and without giving
Apache.org time to investigate and develop a patch or even propose a workaround.” More at The Register.
Category:
Greg was an invaluable asset to the PostNuke development team, and a dear and trusted friend and co-worker to thousands of people on every continent. Through this first year of PostNuke’s existence, Greg’s personable and giving nature has been a guiding light and inspiration to many people and projects that have shaped the development landscape and social personality of the PostNuke project.
Surviving Greg are his parents, Bob and Leona Allan, his girlfriend Kim and her two children Kristin and Kassandra, his dog Chevy, and trusted friend Natasha.
In memory of Greg and out of respect for all those mourning his passing, all PostNuke development and official support activity has been suspended for one week. We urge all those using PostNuke to post a copy of this article on each of your PostNuke-Powered sites to commemorate the memory and accomplishments of Adam_Baum. Please add your condolences and memories below.
For funeral arrangements, flower delivery information and memorial contributions, please email steve@grape.dyndns.org for more information.
On behalf of the PostNuke Development Team,
Steve MacGregor (grape)
Support Operations Manager”
Category:
Author: JT Smith
With all the excitement about Linux on the IBM mainframe
This follows IBM’s success in the Intel server space. In 2001, a truly awful year for Intel server sales, IBM actually managed to increase its year-to-year revenue, according to Gartner Dataquest reports. For sheer numbers of total servers shipped in the first quarter of 2002, no-name white-boxes still lead the way with 27.4% of the market; followed by Dell at 26%, with its strong Red Hat Linux support; the combined Compaq/HP close behind at 25.5%; and IBM with a mere 13.3% of the market. But, the important news here is that Dell and IBM are gaining market share and while IBM’s volume may be small, its profits are high. Is this an accident, with both Dell and IBM ahead of the others in throwing their support to Linux on the server?
It’s no accident, according to Gartner Dataquest. While the Linux Intel server market remains small in terms of revenue, it’s growing quickly and it’s this growth that has enabled IBM to grab a bigger part of the server market pie.
And IBM knows this. Rich Michos, IBM’s v.p. of Linux servers, says, “The Intel platform is the fastest growing platform, and Linux is the fastest growing server OS. Each year Linux is becoming more and more important to IBM and it gains a bigger share.” To be exact, Scott Handy, IBM’s director of Linux solutions marketing, says that 27% of new servers requests are for Linux servers.” And, those requests are increasing.
IBM and the Intel Linux competition
Looking from the outside in, Bill Claybrook, the Aberdeen Group’s research director for Linux and Unix, sees this trend, too. “Most people don’t know this, but the xSeries is the main thrust of Linux at IBM.” IBM insiders think that xSeries and the mainframe are the real Linux markets.
“IBM is in third place in server sales behind, Dell and HP/Compaq, but they’re really pushing this market for Linux,” Claybrook adds. “Specifically, IBM is looking to clustering and large server farms on Intel Linux because there’s money to be made there.”
As for IBM’s competition, Claybrook says that “the reason why they’re behind Dell and Compaq is that they had better Intel channels. When I think IBM, I don’t think Intel. It’s an image problem and people don’t think of them when it comes to Intel servers.” But, that said, “they’re pushing hard on this area.”
Michos knows that this is a problem. He says that one of the “primary things we’re doing now is educating partners and sales staff about IBM and Intel. We’re aggressively working with ISVs, resellers, and integrators to build a partner net so that we can get them to see that Linux is the future and that they should work with us.”
And why not work with HP/Compaq or Dell instead? Here’s Michos’ answer: “Even combined, we’re gobbling up Linux share from HP/Compaq. Compaq was a leader in the early days, but both Dell and IBM have gained.” He says IBM is price competitive with both Dell and HP, and “there’s a lot of confusion about what Compaq is doing with Linux and Unix, and that helps us.” He also says Dell seems to be staying away from eight-way systems and “they’re finding high-end Intel computing hard.”
Looking ahead
The UnitedLinux effort, which had a lot of IBM support, will work for IBM’s benefit because it will make porting software to Linux for both IBM and independent software vendors much easier and cheaper. Getting more software to Linux remains, to the IBM way of thinking, vitally important. Indeed, Claybrook thinks that it might be worth IBM’s time to money to ISVs to get them to make ports on the xSeries.
Regardless of the financial details, in practice, IBM partners are moving applications to Linux. On June 12, for example, J.D. Edwards, a leading enterprise software company, announced with Bill Zeitler, IBM’s senior vice president and executive for its Server Group, that Edwards would be bringing its customer relationship management applications to the IBM xSeries. You can be certain that more ISVs will follow.
Specifically, when Michos looks ahead he sees IBM and partners’ “next phase being retail and accounting applications.” He says, “ISVs are starting to decide now is the time to get business applications to Linux. They’re finally realizing that Linux isn’t just a fad. What IBM will be doing to help this along will be “working with our business partners, to build integrated business application using Java and WebSphere on Linux.” In the case of J.D. Edwards, for instance, the CRM applications will be relying on IBM’s DB2 for its database and WebSphere for its middleware.
IBM is also working on its Redbooks and other documentation to better help its partners and customers deploy Linux.
Linux on the desktop
Despite all this effort to make Linux the operating system of choice on the Intel server, IBM remains cool to the Linux desktop. It’s not that the company doesn’t want Linux on the desktop, it’s that the customers simply aren’t there. Handy explains, “Customers want Linux on the server, but only 2% of our desktop requests are for Linux. That’s not a sustainable level of demand. We’ve tried it, but the demand simply isn’t there from the customers.”
Still, he says, “we continually look at the Linux desktop, and we encourage activity in this area. Until we get customer acceptance, we won’t have a broad play there.”
IBM is aware that Linux fans want an IBM Linux desktop. A quick glance at DesktopLinux.com will show that. But, an ongoing survey on the same site shows that Mandrake and ELX Linux are the leading Linuxes for desktop Linux fans — and neither of those is seen as top business Linuxes. IBM wants to sell to corporate users, not individual users. So as long as desktop Linux users are mainly Linux fans and not CIOs, IBM isn’t likely to produce an end-user Linux desktop.
In the meantime, the increase in popularity of Win4Lin and Crossover Office may actually discourage IBM from investing the Linux desktop. After all, IBM also sells Windows desktop systems, and the Windows-on-Linux programs enable Linux users to run Windows applications, thus discouraging the Linux office and productivity ISVs.
That’s not to say that IBM has totally turned its back on the Linux desktop. Indeed, in theory, you can get IBM EPro, MPro and ZPro IntelliStations and one ThinkPad, the A31P, with Linux certified today. Handy points out though that these are Linux desktops for developers, and come with development tools and no-charge copies of WebSphere, Domino, and DB2.
In practice, though, you can’t order them off the IBM IntelliStation Web site; the online systems only come with Microsoft operating systems. When I called the IBM sales line, the people there told me that Linux wasn’t available on any desktop machines — including the developer workstations.
The point of the story if you want Linux on an Intel box, IBM is one of the places to go. If you want a Linux desktop on IBM, however, you’ll need to do it on your own.
