Bityard recaps yesterday’s announcement from OpenOffice.org about OpenOffice 1.0, with a tad bit of analysis throw in as a bonus.

Bityard has produced a review of the book, Linux Administration Handbook. Unless you’re a sysadmin, this will bore you. Here’s the lede graf: “There have been a lot of titles geared towards Linux administration. But many have failed to target a wide user base with in-depth knowledge about every aspect of what is an already complex field — system administration.”

Michael Robertson says there are five different kinds of people who sign up and pay $99 to be a beta tester for LindowsOS. Are you one of these types? And do you have $99? Read this edition of “Michael’s Minutes” to find out more.

Michael's Minutes: Is the Insider Program Right for You?
Get the Inside Scoop on the Insider Program.

Since announcing the Insider program in January of this year, a small,
but enthusiastic group of people have signed on to assist us in the
monumental undertaking of bringing choice to computers. We're
tremendously grateful for their support and LindowsOS is a better
product because of their assistance. 

Many of you sent me email asking, "Is the Insider Program right for me?"
Anyone signing up for the Insider (http://www.lindows.com/signup)
program gains immediate access to try out the latest version of
LindowsOS software. They'll also get the final version when it is
released, some time near the middle of the year. But what I've found
after talking to Insiders is that there are vastly different reasons why
they've signed up. I've grouped them into five categories. See if you
fit into one of these groups and you'll answer the question yourself of
whether you should sign up now as an Insider
(http://www.lindows.com/clicknrun). 

1.) Tech Wizard

Some Insiders steer development and objectively evaluate everything from
content to concepts by actively participating in discussions and
providing feedback via email messages, surveys and posts in our active
forum. These Insiders join to make a difference in our product by
sharing with us their technical perspective and to take advantage of
Li
ndows.com company information -- we refer to them informally as the
Tech Wizards. 

2.) Choice Advocate

Other Lindows.com Insiders join to quietly observe and support
Lindows.com's mission, much as one supports their local library,
National Public Radio or the arts, this special group wants LindowsOS to
succeed so we can offer a viable choice on the desktop- we've dubbed
this group the Choice Advocates. Many of them haven't even tried the
software yet, but want to offer their encouragement during these early
formative times. 

3.) Value Seeker

The most common Insider is the one who sees sensible value in LindowsOS
and is scouting for an economical solution for their home, school or
business computing needs. Many know that the cost for Microsoft products
is continually increasing. Value Seekers are looking for a practical
alternative. 
NOTE: Check out how Microsoft Activation codes will be costing families
more than 54 billion over the next 4 years. See
http://www.lindows.com/press.

These insiders are looking for affordable and easy-to-use software to
get their jobs done. The fact that my 5-year-old can install LindowsOS
combined with the Click-N-Run Warehouse
(http://www.lindows.com/clicknrun) (where users can download and install
programs with a single click, all at affordable pricing and licensing
terms) is making these discriminating consumers content.  

This practical set typically joins so they can take advantage of
LindowsOS Sneak Preview right away, but they also recognize that they'll
be the first to receive the final version upon its release for being an
Insider, so they have nothing to lose. 

4.) Penguin

Another camp that we've identified is the group that really wants to
experience LinuxR because they've read so much about its benefits or
heard about it from friends or co-workers, yet they just don't have the
time or energy to delve into the complexities. 

LindowsOS has many unique capabilities which make it ideal for them. It
can install right alongside an existing Microsoft Windows 98 operating
system (without erasing it). This allows them to experience the true
power of their computer by running Linux. But they can switch back to
Microsoft Windows 98 by simply restarting their computer at anytime.

Some have told us they want a step-by-step installation guide, they
should check out: http://www.tryoutlinux.com which has a ton of great
screenshots walking anyone through the easy process of getting a Linux
installation up and running in no time. So if you want to see what it
will look like before trying it out, visit http://www.tryoutlinux.com. 

NOTE: We call them 'penguins' because that is the unofficial mascot of
LinuxR. 

5.) ABM

And lastly, a group that generates a lot heat with their passion, the
Anything But Microsoft (ABM) group. Members of this group have sworn off
operating or supporting any products made by Microsoft. Either they've
had negative experiences with Microsoft products or they do not agree
with their business tactics or they believe Microsoft is gouging their
customers. Regardless, they're ready to embrace anything that isn't
Microsoft. Some sent us their credit cards before we had the capacity to
accept them. 

As you can see, whether Tech Wizard, Choice Advocate, Value Seeker,
Penguin or an ABM, there are many reasons why people are signing up as
Insiders. If you fit one of those categories or know someone who does,
then perhaps signing up as an Insider (http://www.lindows.com/signup) is
something to consider. 

Whether you sign up as an Insider today or not, I thank you for your
support as we bring choice to computers!

I'll sign off with some comments from our Insider's forum where Insiders
chat about whatever is on their mind. There have been thousands of
comments, but here are some of the positive ones from a week's time span
which keep us working hard on Lindows.com! 

Michael Robertson
Chief Executive Officer of Lindows.com 
michaelr@lindows.com

4/17/02 "am very impressed with the progress. I understand that this is
an immense undertaking! I have been able to do a number of tasks with
Lindows SP2. I like all the interest and controversy I have seen!"

4/18/02 "i love sp2 i run it as my full OS now :)" 

4/18/02 "Definitely looking like a winner to me. And this forum is
great. I rarely frequent forums to avoid flamers and lamers, but I find
it hard to tear myself away from here sometimes. Finally a linux
distribution that does not leaving me wondering why I bothered. I am
actually interested in learning Linux more now. Very impressive first
desktop. Keep up the great work."

4/18/02 "You guys are headed in the right direction, keep it up. 
And remember it will take some time in reaching the goal."

4/20/02 "I have said it a couple of times already, but I've made the
decision to be Micro$oft free by the end of the year and Lindows is
going to make that possible! I'm almost ready to switch completely, but
there are some issues that I'm sure will be taken care of by the time
the public release is ready. Thanks guys! We appreciate you very much!"

4/21/2002 "I tried to run 50 Windows programs covering a wide range of
subjects. None ran 100% correctly but for a number of them the only
deficiency was with printing. What truly amazed me about Lindows was the
stability it showed at such an early stage. In spite of programs hanging
and misbehaving in strange ways, I didn't have to push the reset button
once; the alt-ctl-bksp keys cleared all problems. With Windows 98,
pushing reset is a frequent necessity. 
 
04/23/02 "I cannot believe how Awesome this OS is!!! I have never
installed an OS so easily in my entire life. I have Lindows running on a
spare computer, everything is built on the Motherboard. Lindows
installed with no trouble at all, first boot and I was on the internet.
Very nice work guys!!! I am looking forward to the future of this OS."


Lindows.com just launched http://support.lindows.com for Insiders and
Lindows.com visitors. Please feel free to send any question you may have
about LindowsOS or Lindows.com to http://support.lindows.com.


Bringing choice to your computer! 

Lindows.com has released LindowsOS Sneak Preview 1 and 2 to a select
group of Insiders. The Sneak Previews are not fully completed products
but showcase many of the unique features such as a "Friendly-Install"
alongside an existing Microsoft Windows operating system, a streamlined
installation process which requires no computer knowledge and the
ability to run popular Windows-based programs. This will be followed by
Version 1.0 which will go on sale later this year. For more information
see www.lindows.com/products

Become a Lindows.com Insider 

To read previous Michael's Minutes see
http://www.lindows.com/lindows_michaelsminutes_archives.php. 

LindowsOS and Lindows.com are trademarks of Lindows.com, Inc. LinuxR is
a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. MicrosoftR WindowsR operating
system is a registered trademark or service mark of the Microsoft
Corporation.

– by Tina Gasperson –
Caldera‘s education department has always
offered certifications in Unix or Linux. Now they’re offering a combo
certification called the Master ACE.
The Master ACE is important for IT professionals because now they can show
expertise both in Unix and Linux, according to Caldera. It makes sense because Caldera is a Unix
company just as much as it is a Linux company. And with other businesses like
Sun hinting at more integration between their Unix offerings and Linux,
forward-thinking sysadmins will see the benefit of getting “legit” with a Master
ACE certification.

“Linux has its foundations in Unix. And up until now, you’ve been able to find
professionals who have Unix experience and certification, and you can also find
another camp who are going for the new Linux certifications,” says David
Acheson, director of education services for Caldera. “We’ve been able to bring
both of them together. It’s proof to IT professionals or their employers.”

To earn a Master ACE, you first must be certified with Caldera on two other
levels: CSA (Certified System Administrator, which was formerly the CUSA or
Certified Unix System Administrator certification) and ACE (Advanced Certified
Engineer). Both of these have three tracks: OpenServer 5 and Unixware
7/OpenServer 8 for Unix, and a Linux track that utilizes the CompTIA Linux+ and
the LPI level 1 exams.

Jennifer Heldenbrand, marketing manager with Caldera education services, says
for now, the best way to access certification training for the CSA, ACE, and
Master ACE is to contact one of Caldera’s education services partners. But by
this summer Caldera expects to offer its curriculum directly to customers.

Caldera looks to be positioning itself as the “go-to” company for businesses
needing support, services, education and products related to Linux and Unix.
Not only are its certifications “fungible,” according to Acheson, meaning that
they are distribution-neutral, but the company also recently announced it will begin offering support packages for Linux
distributions other than its own, including Red Hat, SuSE, Turbolinux, and
Conectiva. Acheson also called Caldera a “one-stop shop” with a “global vision.”

Kernel.org: Linux kernel 2.5.12 is out. You can download from here directly or from one of the mirrors. Don’t forget to look at the ChangeLog!

InfoWorld reports that “A security hole in the Netscape Communications Navigator and Mozilla Web browsers could allow an attacker to view documents on a user’s PC, according to a security advisory released Tuesday by Israeli security group GreyMagic Software.”

IDG: “End-user unrest over Microsoft Corp.’s enterprise licensing plan may prompt some companies to move from Microsoft Office suite to rival Sun Microsystems Inc.’s personal productivity suite, StarOffice, predicts Gartner Group Inc… Gartner is estimating that StarOffice has a slightly better than 50-50 chance of taking 10% of the office productivity suite market –at Microsoft’s expense — by the end of 2004.” Read the article here.

Linux Journal is reporting that “The top internet radio stations are running a day of silence to warn listeners–and everybody else who cares about the Net–about what will happen if CARP rules go into effect later this month.”

C|Net: “It’s been a long four years for Mitchell Baker. As the leader of the Mozilla.org project, an AOL-funded open-source Web browser technology, Baker has been trying to stoke the fire she helped light in 1998. Mozilla, which was created using Netscape’s browser code, found support among a legion of software developers…” Read more of this C|Net interview with Mozilla.org‘s Mitchell Baker here.

From Rajesh Goyal: All attendees get a free Linux laptop.

LinuxCertified,Inc. a leading provider of Linux training, will offer weekend system administration bootcamp on May 16 – 17, 2002 in San Francisco bay area (south bay). This workshop is designed for busy information technology professionals and is designed to cover the most important Linux administration areas. All attendees get a free Linux laptop.
In addition to carefully designed lecture material delivered by experienced Linux professionals, there is a heavy emphasis on hands-on learning. The training starts two weeks before the actual class, with access to an online Linux server, where students complete few challenging pre-class activities. Attendees get a powerful Linux laptop on their arrival, along with other class materials. They load Linux on their laptop during the class, and use it for all the class activities and assignments. At the end of the class they take this laptop with them to further enhance their Linux expertise. Absolute beginners with no UNIX experience can first come to the popular “Linux Fundamentals” class and subsequently join the system administration bootcamp.

Rapid growth of Linux into corporate and government IT environments is fueling the need for Linux certified professionals. CIOs and managers are eager to have Linux experts in their organizations. A certification provides a tangible mechanism for their hiring evaluation, as well as a means to market the prowess of organizations.

“As an independent IT consultant I am always on my toes to learn new technologies, without much free time to devote to classes. The LinuxCertified bootcamp was a perfect way for me to jump start my Linux knowledge. I can now use Linux as a valuable tool in my career,” said Taylor Cottam, an independent consultant who joined one of the LinuxCertified, Inc. weekend bootcamps.

This weekend bootcamp is specially designed to prepare the attendees for the objectives of Level 1 certification exams offered by Linux Professional Institute (LPI). The workshop also meets the objectives of the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) exam and Sair Linux & GNU certification (LCA). Our attendees build a strong sense of community with our instructors, fellow students, and our network of recruiters and companies looking for Linux consultants.

About LinuxCertified, Inc.

The mission of LinuxCertified, Inc. is to bring Linux to mainstream IT usage. We firmly believe that Linux has an enormous potential, once it crosses over from the early adopters to the more mainstream users. Our goal is to help this transition by providing:

– Linux trained and certified professionals
– Linux certified products that cater to mainstream users rather than early adopters.

Contact:
info@linuxcertified.com
http://www.linuxcertified.com/
Tel: 408 314 6700

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.