Dave Jones: “Keeping the ball rolling.. Fix up some merge errors, scoop
up another bunch of pending fixes, and back out some problem bits
for now.”

Patch is available from:
http://www.codemonkey.org.uk/patches/2.5/patch-2.5.1-dj2.diff.bz2

Some of these fixes still haven't found their way back to Marcelo yet
but should show up in 2.4.17-rc2 / 2.4.18pre1 with any luck.

2.5.1-dj2
o   bio fixes for qlogicfas.                    (brett@bad-sports.com)
o   Correct x86 CPU helptext.                   (Me)
o   Fix serial.c __ISAPNP__ usage.              (Andrey Panin)
o   Use better ide-floppy fixes.                (Jens Axboe)
o   Make NFS 'fsx' proof.                       (Trond Mykelbust)
    | 2 races & 4 bugs, hopefully this is all.
o   devfs update                                (Richard Gooch)
o   Backout early CPU init, needs more work.    (Me)
    | This should fix several strange reports.
o   drop new POSIX kill semantics for now       (Me)

From InfoWorld (via PCWorld.com): ”

Some of the recent press regarding the “Goner” e-mail virus has brought about interesting
commentary from antivirus manufacturers. It seems that a number of these folks feel that Linux
viruses soon will be rampaging through the Internet alongside their Windows brethren.

Don’t hold your breath.

Why? Is Linux totally impervious to an e-mail virus? In theory, no. But in practice, it comes close.”

IDG News Service reports that G.Mate has confirmed it plans to begin shipping the Yopy, a Linux-based personal
digital assistant, in late December.

The company began accepting orders for the device through its Web site, with a December 21 shipping date and a price of $399.

Anonymous Reader writes, “Recently ACUNIA released Wonka, their implementation of the Java language, under a BSD-style license. In this guest column at LinuxDevices.com, ACUNIA Chief Technology Officer Steven Buytaert and VM Architect Chris Gray explain the reasons behind the decision. Read full story.”

Anonymous Reader writes, “A draft discussion paper on adopting Open Source has been issued for public consultation by the UK Government. (Editor’s note: The page apparently doesn’t display in all browsers; and the document is available only in Microsoft Word or PDF.) It states the UK Government will consider OSS solutions alongside proprietary ones in IT procurements. Contracts will be awarded on a value for money basis. This is a major coup, given the Blair government’s fascination with Microsoft, despite the cost.”

KDE.org has the profile of Zeini, who’s from Iran and helps translate KDE into Farsi.

ZDNet reports that the Linux community in Australia has applauded recent police raids on the Australian warez community. Those applauding say that stamping out pirated software will make Open Source alternatives more attractive.

Avatar writes “Evil3D has posted a new review today covering the Athlon XP based workstation from Pogo Linux:
‘…This baby comes equipped with kick ass components, Red Hat 7.2/Windows XP in a dual boot configuration, and Linux based support all at an affordable price. Not to mention the fact that it is equally adept at performing as a workstation or gaming rig… Pogo Linux is offering a free CPU upgrade until December 28th for their Altura line. Basically, you get an Athlon XP 1800+ [1.53GHz] for'”

BusinessWeek: “Whatever you think of Microsoft, there’s no escaping the
company’s sheer power. For years, the Internet and
high-tech industries have been haggling over the best
solution to protect the privacy of Web visitors. Now the
Colossus of Redmond has forced the issue, simply by
releasing the latest version of its Web browser, Internet
Explorer 6.0. IE 6, which comes bundled in Microsoft’s
new Windows XP operating system, includes a
privacy-enabling technology called P3P, or Platform for
Privacy Preferences.”

NewsFactor Network writes: “The resignation Thursday of Hewlett-Packard director Richard Hackborn from the Hewlett Foundation may have signaled the beginning of the end for the proposed merger between HP and Compaq Computer. Other signs of dissatisfaction add fuel to a coming merger meltdown. Earlier this week, Walter Hewlett sent a letter to the Hewlett-Packard and Compaq boards reportedly criticizing the US$22.8 billion proposal and saying that if the merger comes to a stockholder vote, it will be defeated.”