ZDNet reports that the Microsoft judge doesn’t like a proposal by the holdout states that an appointed “special master,” not the U.S. Department of Justice, would take future complaints about Microsoft monopolistic behavior. Gee, what has the Justice Department done to make the holdout states think it’d be soft on Micorsoft?

Ximian, Inc., the leading open source desktop company, today announced it will bundle the Sun® StarOffice 6.0 productivity suite across
a range of its desktop and software management products and services for Linux. Customers buying the boxed version of Ximian[tm] Desktop Professional Edition or
subscribing to the premium Red Carpet[tm] Express software updating service will receive StarOffice 6.0 with their purchases. Workgroups and organizations purchasing the Red
Carpet CorporateConnect[tm] service for centralized software management can also install StarOffice 6.0 on each of their supported systems. As a result, Ximian end users and
corporate customers can cost-effectively include StarOffice productivity applications as part of their desktop productivity solutions. Ximian Desktop Professional Edition and
the premium Red Carpet services featuring StarOffice 6.0 can be purchased at the Ximian web site at www.ximian.com.
StarOffice is an affordable alternative in office productivity suites that runs on multiple operating systems, including Linux, the Solaris Operating Environment and Microsoft
Windows® (The Windows version is available separately from Sun at www.sun.com). The suite has a simple, easy-to-use interface and contains full-featured applications including
word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and graphics capabilities. StarOffice is a popular alternative for users who work in mixed-platform environments, as compatibility
with Microsoft Office files is critical.

Now offered as part of the larger Ximian solution, StarOffice 6.0 provides improved productivity for individual and corporate users. Specifically, StarOffice enables users to
create, open, modify, save and resend native Word, Excel and PowerPoint files and seamlessly integrates with Ximian Desktop, including one-click attachment handling in the
Ximian Evolution[tm] email client, which speeds the opening of Microsoft Office files sent as email enclosures to Linux users.

“StarOffice 6.0 is an excellent companion to the Ximian Desktop for Linux users,” said Mike Rogers, vice president and general manager for Desktop and StarOffice products at
Sun Microsystems. “Customers in mixed computing environments are increasingly looking for a cost-effective desktop productivity alternative that is complete, easy-to-use, and
compatible with their Microsoft Office file formats. StarOffice and Ximian Desktop together can provide that choice to customers.”

StarOffice 6.0 offers a more streamlined user interface than previous versions. New features and capabilities include improved interoperability with Microsoft Office files,
support for XML file formats, integrated creativity and productivity tools and enhanced international support. StarOffice provides users with a choice in office productivity
suites that run on multiple operating systems, including the Solaris Operating Environment, Microsoft Windows and Linux.

“Ximian is dedicated to advancing the adoption of the Linux desktop, especially for corporate customers increasingly looking to Linux,” said David Patrick, CEO and president of
Ximian. “Combining Ximian GNOME, Ximian Evolution, Red Carpet and StarOffice 6.0 with our Ximian Desktop offerings provides our customers with unmatched usability,
productivity, file compatibility, email management and software updating. The range of packages and price points gives end users and organizations choices for how to best
purchase and deploy the software for their needs.”

“Linux as a general purpose client operating environment has been stifled by the lack of a clean, simple-to-use graphical interface, a personal productivity suite, as well as other
popular application software packages,” said Al Gillen, research director, system software at IDC. “The work that Ximian has done to develop its Ximian GNOME desktop and
Evolution products, combined with the new StarOffice 6.0 release, will help resolve some of these issues, and thereby help boost Linux’s popularity among corporate users.”

Pricing and Availability

All products are available for purchase directly from Ximian at www.ximian.com or by phone at 866-4XIMIAN (outside the United States, 617-375-3856).

StarOffice 6.0 is bundled with various Ximian offerings, including: Ximian Desktop Professional Edition, priced at $59.95, including 90 days of web-based technical support. Red
Carpet Express, with subscriptions priced at $9.95 a month or for $99.95 for a year. Red Carpet CorporateConnect, which includes a license for StarOffice 6.0 included with
each paid seat, priced at $150 per year per seat.

Ximian Desktop Professional Edition

The Ximian Desktop Professional Edition software, which includes StarOffice 6.0, delivers a complete desktop environment and robust suite of applications including word
processing, web browsing, email and personal information management, complete with documentation and web-based technical support. Supporting a broad range of leading
Linux distributions including, Red Hat, SuSE, Mandrake, Debian, Yellow Dog and more, Ximian Desktop Professional Edition combines the Ximian GNOME desktop interface,
the Red Carpet software management and updating application, and Ximian Evolution, the leading email and personal information management suite for Linux.

The software also incorporates a host of leading third-party open source productivity applications, including the Mozilla web browser, the AbiWord word processor, the
Gnumeric spreadsheet and GIMP image editor. Ximian Desktop Professional Edition also provides 90 days of web-based technical support.

Red Carpet Express and CorporateConnect Premium Services

Customers subscribing to the fee-based, premium Red Carpet services for Linux also will receive the StarOffice 6.0 software. Red Carpet Express and CorporateConnect
services tightly integrate with the Red Carpet client software used by hundreds of thousands of Ximian GNOME users worldwide. Red Carpet is a software management
solution that efficiently and securely keeps Linux systems up-to-date. Its intuitive software channels and automatic dependency and conflict resolution let users easily install,
update and maintain software over the Internet from Ximian, leading Linux distribution providers and a growing library of other third-party independent software vendors
(ISVs). Especially important for mixed computing environments, Red Carpet uniquely provides multi-platform support, updating systems running a broad range of Linux
distributions, including Red Hat, SuSE, Mandrake, Debian and more.

Red Carpet Express is a time-saving subscription service that provides customers with priority, high-bandwidth Internet downloading and updating of the latest Linux
software. After using a web-based sign-up process at the Ximian web site, Red Carpet Express customers may then experience software downloads at speeds of up to 10 or
more times faster for updating Ximian and Linux software, depending on the type of Internet connection used and geographic location.

Red Carpet CorporateConnect, is a powerful web-based service that provides customers with centralized software maintenance and version management for Linux workgroups
and servers. CorporateConnect lets organizations update systems automatically or on demand with software from Ximian, Linux distribution providers and third-party software
vendors. Just as important, the service lets administrators create, manage and customize their own private, secure “channels” for company software standards and internal
applications. About Ximian, Inc. Ximian is the established leader in providing open source desktop technology, applications, support and services for the Linux and UNIX
marketplaces. Ximian products, in use by over 1,000,000 people worldwide, are providing the ease of use, productivity and interoperability needed to propel the adoption of the
Linux desktop in corporate computing environments. Its Ximian Desktop software starts with Ximian GNOME, a productized end-user desktop based on the GNOME project,
to provide a complete graphical desktop environment and productivity application suite for Linux and UNIX systems. Ximian Red Carpet and Ximian Evolution deliver software
and personal information management solutions for both end users and corporate customers. Comprised of many of the original architects of the GNOME system, Ximian is a
foundinStarOffice is an affordable alternative in office productivity suites that runs on multiple operating systems, including Linux, the Solaris Operating Environment and Microsoft
Windows® (The Windows version is available separately from Sun at www.sun.com). The suite has a simple, easy-to-use interface and contains full-featured applications including
word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and graphics capabilities. StarOffice is a popular alternative for users who work in mixed-platform environments, as compatibility
with Microsoft Office files is critical.

Now offered as part of the larger Ximian solution, StarOffice 6.0 provides improved productivity for individual and corporate users. Specifically, StarOffice enables users to
create, open, modify, save and resend native Word, Excel and PowerPoint files and seamlessly integrates with Ximian Desktop, including one-click attachment handling in the
Ximian Evolution[tm] email client, which speeds the opening of Microsoft Office files sent as email enclosures to Linux users.

“StarOffice 6.0 is an excellent companion to the Ximian Desktop for Linux users,” said Mike Rogers, vice president and general manager for Desktop and StarOffice products at
Sun Microsystems. “Customers in mixed computing environments are increasingly looking for a cost-effective desktop productivity alternative that is complete, easy-to-use, and
compatible with their Microsoft Office file formats. StarOffice and Ximian Desktop together can provide that choice to customers.”

StarOffice 6.0 offers a more streamlined user interface than previous versions. New features and capabilities include improved interoperability with Microsoft Office files,
support for XML file formats, integrated creativity and productivity tools and enhanced international support. StarOffice provides users with a choice in office productivity
suites that run on multiple operating systems, including the Solaris Operating Environment, Microsoft Windows and Linux.

“Ximian is dedicated to advancing the adoption of the Linux desktop, especially for corporate customers increasingly looking to Linux,” said David Patrick, CEO and president of
Ximian. “Combining Ximian GNOME, Ximian Evolution, Red Carpet and StarOffice 6.0 with our Ximian Desktop offerings provides our customers with unmatched usability,
productivity, file compatibility, email management and software updating. The range of packages and price points gives end users and organizations choices for how to best
purchase and deploy the software for their needs.”

“Linux as a general purpose client operating environment has been stifled by the lack of a clean, simple-to-use graphical interface, a personal productivity suite, as well as other
popular application software packages,” said Al Gillen, research director, system software at IDC. “The work that Ximian has done to develop its Ximian GNOME desktop and
Evolution products, combined with the new StarOffice 6.0 release, will help resolve some of these issues, and thereby help boost Linux’s popularity among corporate users.”

Pricing and Availability

All products are available for purchase directly from Ximian at www.ximian.com or by phone at 866-4XIMIAN (outside the United States, 617-375-3856).

StarOffice 6.0 is bundled with various Ximian offerings, including: Ximian Desktop Professional Edition, priced at $59.95, including 90 days of web-based technical support. Red
Carpet Express, with subscriptions priced at $9.95 a month or for $99.95 for a year. Red Carpet CorporateConnect, which includes a license for StarOffice 6.0 included with
each paid seat, priced at $150 per year per seat.

Ximian Desktop Professional Edition

The Ximian Desktop Professional Edition software, which includes StarOffice 6.0, delivers a complete desktop environment and robust suite of applications including word
processing, web browsing, email and personal information management, complete with documentation and web-based technical support. Supporting a broad range of leading
Linux distributions including, Red Hat, SuSE, Mandrake, Debian, Yellow Dog and more, Ximian Desktop Professional Edition combines the Ximian GNOME desktop interface,
the Red Carpet software management and updating application, and Ximian Evolution, the leading email and personal information management suite for Linux.

The software also incorporates a host of leading third-party open source productivity applications, including the Mozilla web browser, the AbiWord word processor, the
Gnumeric spreadsheet and GIMP image editor. Ximian Desktop Professional Edition also provides 90 days of web-based technical support.

Red Carpet Express and CorporateConnect Premium Services

Customers subscribing to the fee-based, premium Red Carpet services for Linux also will receive the StarOffice 6.0 software. Red Carpet Express and CorporateConnect
services tightly integrate with the Red Carpet client software used by hundreds of thousands of Ximian GNOME users worldwide. Red Carpet is a software management
solution that efficiently and securely keeps Linux systems up-to-date. Its intuitive software channels and automatic dependency and conflict resolution let users easily install,
update and maintain software over the Internet from Ximian, leading Linux distribution providers and a growing library of other third-party independent software vendors
(ISVs). Especially important for mixed computing environments, Red Carpet uniquely provides multi-platform support, updating systems running a broad range of Linux
distributions, including Red Hat, SuSE, Mandrake, Debian and more.

Red Carpet Express is a time-saving subscription service that provides customers with priority, high-bandwidth Internet downloading and updating of the latest Linux
software. After using a web-based sign-up process at the Ximian web site, Red Carpet Express customers may then experience software downloads at speeds of up to 10 or
more times faster for updating Ximian and Linux software, depending on the type of Internet connection used and geographic location.

Red Carpet CorporateConnect, is a powerful web-based service that provides customers with centralized software maintenance and version management for Linux workgroups
and servers. CorporateConnect lets organizations update systems automatically or on demand with software from Ximian, Linux distribution providers and third-party software
vendors. Just as important, the service lets administrators create, manage and customize their own private, secure “channels” for company software standards and internal
applications.

About Ximian, Inc.

Ximian is the established leader in providing open source desktop technology, applications, support and services for the Linux and UNIX
marketplaces. Ximian products, in use by over 1,000,000 people worldwide, are providing the ease of use, productivity and interoperability needed to propel the adoption of the
Linux desktop in corporate computing environments. Its Ximian Desktop software starts with Ximian GNOME, a productized end-user desktop based on the GNOME project,
to provide a complete graphical desktop environment and productivity application suite for Linux and UNIX systems. Ximian Red Carpet and Ximian Evolution deliver software
and personal information management solutions for both end users and corporate customers. Comprised of many of the original architects of the GNOME system, Ximian is a
founding member of the GNOME Foundation and sits on the advisory board. The company has secured funding from leading venture firms Charles River Ventures and Battery
Ventures and can be reached at www.ximian.com.

Anonymous Reader writes: “We have covered several devices that try to solve a problem collectors of numerous MP3 files encounter. That problem is how to liberate those music files from the PC to a higher quality sound system in another room without having to run back to the PC every time you want to select a new song or playlist. We reported on one solution that was in its development stages last summer called the SliMP3 – a then Linux only based player, but since expanded to other OS’s – that used Ethernet to control and transmit tunes about the house or office. Developed by Slim Devices inc., we recently received the latest version of that player and put it to the test.

http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/2002/slimp3revi ew.html“

“A great way to debug glibc functions is to override the function of interest with your own version. This can be done without having
root permissions and without recompiling the libc source. Imagine the pure thrill of writing your own version of open()!” More at IBM developerWorks.

Our friends at lowendmac.com have put together an amusing little piece about “bindows, findows, and kindows.”

linux journal is running a “Linux Fanatic” contest to see which of you is the craziest about the operating system. I thought it was Richard Stallman. Oh wait, it’s not GNU/Linux Fanatic, is it?

Slashdot asks the question – what exactly do we mean by the term “well-documented” in relation to programming? The “geek girl” says she spends most of her time wishing there was more commenting to explain the motives and intentions of the coder. Browse the discussion here.

Carbon, the basis of life, could become the foundation for computing as well, according to IBM research. Get the scoop at CNET.

In our passion to get the word out, or to respond to someone’s dumb remark, or to show the world that we know what we’re talking about, we sometimes send out emails full of incriminating evidence. What? You mean you don’t do that? Maybe it’s just me. Me and Bill Gates. Read more at CNET.

by Bruce Tober –
Microsoft shooting itself in the foot in 2001 was nothing unusual. In
Russia they did it by cracking down on pervasive software
piracy. Throughout Russia one could purchase just about any piece of
software he or she wanted (everything from the latest Win operating systems to
the latest Win software packages for example) on the black market for a
couple of bucks. Microsoft’s anti-piracy
move (not to mention a new Russian law against software piracy) has
resulted in a shift toward towards GNU/Linux. And nowhere is that truer,
perhaps, than amongst the computer manufacturers.
As Svetlana Semavina, PR manager for ASP Linux, says, “There was one another factor which
pulled companies to Linux. In 2001 Microsoft corp. began to implement
anti-piracy politics in Russia. And that is a really important reason
for the migration to Linux for small PC assemblers for which the cost of
Windows licenses is prohibitively expensive. And for whom the low cost
of PC for end users is very important.”

Aleksey Smirnov, director of ALTGNU/L
inux, agrees. “Yes, [the trend towards PC assemblers pre-installing
Linux is increasing]. And for me it is important that many OEM partners
are interested in Linux because they find it a good solution for users,
not only because it is the cheapest way to solve legal problems. There
is law, and there is MS cracking down (in fact not very strong). But it
is clear to everyone here that it is impossible to provide all computers
in use with legal software – it is economically impossible.”

He notes that due to these factors, “State structures recently began to
buy legal copies of OS and very seldom software. They use mostly pirated
software. Sometimes they buy legal OS, less often they buy legal
software. In fact it is real problem also for Linux vendors, because
almost everybody use MS for free. Private firms buy legal software for
some of their computers. It is usual practice when they buy one legal
copy and install it on many computers.”

But, he says, the purchase of legal, licensed software is increasing,
“and it is expected that using pirated software will become too
dangerous.”

ASPlinux is pre-installed, Semavina says, by such companies as Formoza, Bely Veter, Inel, Desten Computers, Veles-Data, R-
Style, AMI (Ukraine), “and a
wide range small firms (most of them are dealers of the large companies
like Formoza or Bely Veter).”

She added that of those Russian PC Vendors who do pre-install Linux
(which, she said, is most of them) Red Hat is apparently their
distribution of choice. And, she said, “there are a number of small PC
assemblers which pre-install regular versions of RedHat, Mandrake, or even ASPLinux rather than the OEM
versions (i.e. without any CDs or documentation). These distros are
preferred in such cases as the most user-friendly OSes with the best
Russian localization.

Smirnov notes that there are three categories of machine manufacturers using
ALT Linux. They are:

Local assemblers, like Genius. “During last year we provided MicroStar motherboards imported by Impex NEO Group with special edition ALT Linux MSI
Edition. This allows local assemblers to pre-install ALT Linux on
the computers with MSI motherboards. ALT Linux MSI Edition is specially
tested with MSI motherboards.”

Russian Intel-based machines that are pre-loaded with ALT Linux’s
“Intranet Server Appliance for Small and Medium Business.”

And, he noted, ALT Linux is also used by OEMs in the Ukraine.

“We started the Intel project three years ago, Smirnov explains. “The
small local assemblers started using ALT Linux for pre-installation two
years ago, and the MSI project was started a year ago. Now rather big
assembling firms are interested.”

The use of pre-loaded ASPLinux began a year ago. “In May, 2001”,
Semavina says, “we produced ASPLinux 7.1. It was the first release
which we began to sell. At that time we began to offer the biggest PC
manufacturers in Russia to pre-install ASPLinux. Many of them had
already thought about doing so, but their lack of experience in Linux
stopped them. Most of them do not install ASPLinux on all PCs, but have
some series of PCs which are sold only with ASPLinux pre-installed.”

She adds that the company provides its OEM-partners with “all services
they need and carry out marketing actions in this direction.”

The benefit of pre-installing Linux, Smirnov explains, “is that the
assemblers get cheap, legal OS and user software to preinstall. He has
less software problems, and it works faster. Benefits to the end user?
Well, now it is possible to build almost any solution with GNU/Linux.
Linux distribution is a collection of various solutions based on GNU
software. End user gets system, which is cheaper, faster, stable and
flexible.”

To which Semavina adds, “Linux is rather inexpensive. This factor is
very important for today Russian market: one who is buying PC for using
at home usually prefers inexpensive soft. And for the OEMs, In addition
ASPLinux and OEM-partners carry out joint marketing actions, etc”