True, playing with Linux on a big, ugly mainframe computer can be fun, if that’s your idea of fun. It turns out that Linux on big iron not only gives the IT geeks a thrill, it’s also a money saver. News to make any corporate bean counter smile: $200,000 annual savings are forecast for companies brave enough to replace every 500 Sun servers with a single new IBM mainframe. Full story at Enterprise Linux Today.

– by Tina Gasperson –
Linuxsurvival.com houses an interactive tutorial that teaches the absolute basics in command line navigation and file manipulation, all the way up to changing file permissions, file security, wildcards, concatenating files, and controlling the printer.Assuredly, it’s not the only site or even the first site to offer a short course in the basics. What makes Linuxsurvival.com different is the cool Java window that simulates a Linux desktop even on a Windows computer, and even accepts commands and returns output.

It acts like a terminal, and as the student you type newly learned commands in and receive instant feedback. The tutorials are cleverly set up with a zoo and animals analogy, i.e., the zoo is your system, the animal families are directories, and each species is a file.

Currently, there are three modules that cover increasingly advanced concepts. The site creator promises a fourth soon — probably depending on reaction to the currently available tutorials.

Linuxsurvial is nothing more than a moment’s diversion for those who are already familiar with the *nix shell. It’s not too difficult to imagine the site being pretty beneficial to a command line newbie thinking about making the switch from Windows. This is a gentle, game-like way to introduce the concept of typing in commands to someone who never used MSDOS. Not only that, but each module has a quiz to take at the end, so the neophyte can check newly-learned skills.

If you’re uncomfortable running unsigned Java applets, or you’re using pretty much any browser other than Netscape, then Linuxsurvival.com isn’t for you. We couldn’t get it running on Konqueror even with all Java options selected; and if you’ve used Opera in Linux you know there are some plug-in issues with that browser.

Linuxsurvival.com offers Windows and Linux versions of the tutorials; it says that there is no difference in any of the questions or concepts, only in some of the fonts used.

That’s all there is to this site. We say it’s a good start, but with a domain name like Linuxsurvival.com, one is practically obliged to offer more in the way of Linux and in the way of survival. In the meantime, the next time one of your Windows-using friends seems to be poking in the direction of Linux, point them to Linuxsurvival.com’s little command-line aptitude test. If they’re still interested afterward, you may have a convert.

Check out Linuxsurvival.com and let me know what you think. As always, if you know of a site worthy of the NewsForge spotlight, email the URL and a short description.

NewsForge editors read and respond to comments
posted on our discussion
page.

Armonk, N.Y. March 16, 2001 . . . IBM today announced that it will deliver the broadest portfolio of Linux-enabled storage products in the industry including high to low end disk and tape systems.With this announcement, customers running Linux applications will be able to store and integrate data in a variety of formats on any platform throughout their e-business infrastructure. Customers will have application flexibility, scalability and the ability to share files from several different platforms across their storage environments.

“Storage networking and Linux are both disruptive technologies that are having major impacts on the Internet and e-business,” said Linda Sanford, senior vice president and group executive, Storage Systems Group. “Unlike our competitors, IBM has moved beyond a simple acknowledgment of the Linux movement by embracing the open source and open standards philosophy into our storage networking solutions. By enabling all of our storage products for Linux we again prove our ability to translate industry leading technologies into open, standards-based solutions for customers.”

According to IDC research, Linux is the fastest-growing operating system among storage customers, estimated at 35% compound annual growth rate through 2004. Being able to effectively manage this data in a storage network will become an imperative as Linux evolves into enterprise-class computing environments and a platform for storage management.

> Today’s announcement includes:

For a highly scalable Linux solution, an Enterprise Storage Server– code-named Shark—now can be connected to IBM eServer z900 or an S/390 mainframe running Linux.

Linux compatibility for the Modular Storage Server as a mid-market disk storage solution.

Linux support for the IBM FAStT200 and FAStT500 disk storage servers connected to Intel-based servers.

Linear Tape Open (LTO) Ultrium(tm) drives supporting Linux for tape back-up solutions.

The entire line of Tivoli storage management software is to be Linux-enabled as part of its open storage networking vision. Tivoli Storage Manager,Tivoli SANergy and Tivoli Storage Network Manager will work with the open-source operating system. Tivoli Storage Network Manager will become fully Linux-enabled later this year.

With data protection, recovery and backup emerging as the key components of e-business infrastructures, Tivoli Storage Manager is Linux-enabled for both eServer xSeries and eServer z900 servers. Tivoli SANergy, which allows companies to share files across different platforms is enabled for Linux on Intel-based systems. Linux integration with Tivoli Storage Network Manager is complete for Intel, and will be completed for other platforms later this year.

Customers are already adopting IBM’s Linux-enabled storage solutions. Life sciences company, MDS Proteomics, recently purchased an IBM Linux cluster running Linux using Shark, LTO storage systems, and Tivoli systems management solutions. The Linux enabled IBM system will help MDS Proteomics identify and analyze protein interactions and their role in causing genetic diseases. Scandinavia’s largest Telco and Internet Service Provider (ISP), Telia, has consolidated its entire ISP operation to one IBM eServer z900 running Linux connected to Shark.

Storage products compatible with Linux are available today with Shark on the eServer z900 and S/390. For the FAStT200 and FAStT500, Linux support is planned to be available in June 2001; and Linux capability for the MSS is due later this year for Intel-based and Alpha platforms. The LTO Ultrium and Magstar 3590 tape products are set to offer support for Linux this year.

IBM is the world leader in storage systems, software, services and technology. Nationally recognized as an innovator for its contributions to hard disk drive and storage technology, IBM led all companies once again with over 400 storage patents in 2000. IBM’s open storage solutions are designed for the rigors of e-business collaboration utilizing next generation concepts for open storage by integrating modular technologies including disk, tape and optical storage media, powerful processors, and rich software. For more information on the Enterprise Storage Server and its performance advantages over competing products, visit www.storage.ibm.com.

From TechWeb: “IBM’s embrace of the Linux OS will now extend to both disk- and tape-based products, with additional Linux support from the Shark Enterprise Storage Server to the Modular Storage Server (MSS) and on down to the x-series of IBM’s eServer line. IBM will also offer Linux support for the LTO specification, or Ultrium.”

LA Times: “Even as the IRS was assuring taxpayers last year that electronic filing of tax returns was secure, serious shortcomings existed that could have allowed hackers to view and even change information.”

ZDNET.co.uk: “The precipitous decline in memory prices appears to have skidded to a halt, leading some analysts to believe that some of the worst effects of the slowdown in the PC market may be over.”

Anonymous Reader writes “The chairman of Bertelsmann media group says if a new, legal Napster can’t be launched by July 1st, the whole service should be shut down.

http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/2001/15weeks.ht ml“

Wired: “Semifinalists for MIT’s prestigious 50K competition have just been announced. And — surprise, surprise — dot-com entrants are conspicuous in their absence.”

FloridaToday: “Following the lead of companies touting disposable razors and cameras, Telespree
Communications has unveiled plans to introduce a partly disposable cellular phone into the U.S.
market by year’s end.

The Telespree phones with AirClips, disposable clip-on battery packs that keep track of how
many cellular minutes are left, will be priced at less than $30.”

MSNBC tells us: “According to Adobe, Illustrator 9 for Windows may generate
the following errors when opening or creating a file or accessing
the Styles palette: “There is not enough memory available to
process the appearance of an object” or “Missing Plug-ins: The
document [filename] contains elements that are managed by
plugins that are not currently available.”