“Apache has developed into the worlds’ favourite web server,” reports LinuxToday.com.au. “It’s free, it’s fast, and it runs on a very wide
variety of hardware and operating systems. The combination of GNU/Linux or a *BSD variant, some cheap
Intel-based hardware, and Apache has proven to be a simple and very inexpensive way to set up a web server.”

“If you are looking to be a writer, and use Linux as your operating system, or the BeOS, or QNX,
Solaris, True64, or indeed anything else, to put it mildly, you’d better head down the unemployment office and get a job
as a bricklayer.” What? Find out why at LinuxToday.com.au.

“Office tools form the core job of an average person’s computer usage. One of the
basic reasons why people preferred Windows to Linux was the availability of an
excellent office suite in form of MS Office 2000. With bigwigs such as Corel showing
great interest in taming the Penguin, the scenario is fast changing. First it was Corel
Linux (the OS) and now it is Word Perfect Office 2000. A first hand look is all what
is required to get hooked to it. A Word Processor, Presentation, Database
Management software all makes an impressive ingredient list. The installation job
however is a bit tedious and might ruin one’s appetite.” Read all about it at FreeOS.com.

CNET: “The company’s new MaxAttach 4100 uses a custom version of Windows 2000 that manufacturers
can shape to their own needs when making special-purpose servers called “server appliances.”
Maxtor chose it over the no-cost, open-source FreeBSD, the operating system used in the
MaxAttach 4000, because of required software features, said Steve Williams, Maxtor’s product
marketing director.

FreeBSD did not support large file sizes, Macintosh and newer Novell file systems, or backup and
management software from companies such as OpenView, Tivoli and Microsoft, Williams said.”

Windows IT Security writes: “The FBI has discovered the source code for OS/COMET on a computer that belongs to Freebox.com, based in Stockholm, Sweden. The United States uses the OS/COMET source code to guide satellites, space ships, and rockets. A Swedish attorney broke the news to the media last Friday.”

DallasNews.com reports: “A recent survey of more than 100
technology companies found that more
than 80 percent had employees holding
underwater options. As a result, more
tech companies – including some in the
Dallas area that have used options to lure
and retain sought-after workers – are
granting additional options at lower prices,
repricing options or even canceling
unfavorable transactions made by their
executives, a practice known as
rescissions.”

Anonymous Reader writes “freeVSD, the world’s only GPL virtual server solution for Linux, is announcing the release of version 1.4.6 which now provides full support for Red Hat 7.0, and includes the latest true `thin client’ administration interface for virtual servers, VSDClient.

freeVSD (www.freevsd.org), an open source project sponsored by Idaya Ltd, was released in its first version under GPL license in Spring 2000. The software enables ISPs to securely partition their physical servers into many `virtual servers’, each capable of running popular hosting applications such as Apache, Sendmail and MySQL.

Each virtual server has a corresponding `admin’ user with pseudo-root privileges, therefore proper `root’ access is reserved for the service provider – providing a secure and manageable platform on which to host SME, corporate, reseller or developer clients.

freeVSD provides major benefits to any ISP:

· Lower cost for the customer, margins maintained for the ISP – because freeVSD is free, and because the solution helps reduce maintenance and support costs, ISPs can introduce affordable services for a wider market of small businesses yet maintain their earnings and margins.

· Low cost of entry – freeVSD is available for free download with complete source code from the project website (http://www.freevsd.org), and is fully compatible with standard x86 hardware.

· Lower support costs – freeVSD virtual servers can be administered by the customer, freeing the ISP’s support team to deal with non-trivial support.

· Advanced functionality – freeVSD virtual servers are capable of running almost any Linux application, providing the look-and-feel of a dedicated Linux server or Virtual Machine.

· Unrivalled efficiency – a hard-linked architecture reduces disk overhead to just 20MB per virtual server, in comparison to around 500MB per equivalent Virtual Machine or dedicated server. Virtual servers operate in the most efficient manner possible, avoiding hardware emulation completely, therefore freeVSD can support hundreds of fully-featured virtual servers on a single physical server.

· Logical Security – freeVSD ensures maximum security between adjacent virtual servers thanks to its `sandbox’ design. A unique `admin’ user provides the customer with full control over virtual server configuration, whilst access to the most sensitive system files and binaries can be reserved for the ISP `root’ user.

· Customer retention – freeVSD virtual servers provide a scalable stepping-stone between virtual hosting and dedicated servers, enabling ISPs to meet virtually any customer requirement with one basic building block, the virtual server. As a customer grows, so too the virtual server can grow all the way to a dedicated server – seamlessly.

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

freeVSD Administration
At the heart of freeVSD lies VSDADM a modular protocol that enables remote, thin client administration of virtual servers. In coming months the API will be made available to ISPs, enabling them to develop custom modules to meet any customer requirement.

The latest version of freeVSD includes the new webDNS module, which extends the VSDADM protocol to configure BIND nameservers. This new module enables virtual server administrators to configure DNS settings remotely, and completes the core functionality of VSDADM:

· User Profile Management (name, password, home dir, quota, privileges)
· Sendmail Configuration (sendmail.cw, aliases and virtusertable management)
· Apache Configuration (VirtualHost management)
· BIND Configuration (management of domains, MX, CNAME, A records)
· Virtual server Management (create, delete, start, stop, reboot, quota, IP aliases)

VSDClient
VSDClient provides a secure, efficient method of remote administration for virtual server administrators. Fully compatible with the VSDADM protocol, this freeware application for win32 has been hailed as the next `killer app’ for ISPs and their customers. This new approach to server administration enables service providers and users alike to break free from inefficient browser-based systems, and increase productivity by adopting a true `thin-client’ interface.

VSDClient is a fully featured, co-brandable*** sysadmin tool for virtual server administrators, providing the ability to manage all core hosting services from the comfort of a Windows desktop:

· Manage multiple user accounts (POP3, FTP, telnet/SSH etc)
· Email `virtusertable’ configuration
· Email `aliases’ and autoresponder configuration**
· Apache Webserver configuration
· BIND Nameserver configuration
· Service status monitor (HTTP, SMTP, Telnet etc)
· `reboot’ virtual server
· Fully secure – all communications encrypted using OpenSSL

The VSDClient open API** enables ISPs to develop custom modules to fulfil any user requirements. If desired, such custom modules can then be sold to other ISPs running freeVSD enabled servers through Idaya’s forthcoming partner channel.

* Optional Extra
** Coming Soon
*** Under the Early Adopters Program, VSDClient is co-brandable free of charge to ISP’s

About freeVSD
freeVSD is an opensource project sponsored by Idaya ltd (see below). Since launch, there have been in the region of 200 downloads of freeVSD each month from developers and ISPs across the USA, Latin America, Europe, Russia, Asia and Australasia. It is estimated that more than 25 ISPs are already using freeVSD commercially, whilst 150 ISPs are currently implementing or testing the software. Much positive feedback has already been received from almost 2000 software developers and ISPs.

About Idaya Ltd
Based in Brighton, UK, Idaya ltd develop cutting-edge software solutions for ISPs and web hosting companies worldwide. VSDClient is Idaya’s first product to market, with several more related projects in the pipeline. Idaya ltd are primary commercial sponsors of the freeVSD project, and are actively seeking more partners and Early Adopters.

For further technical enquiries, please contact info@freevsd.org

For further press information, please contact:
Zoë Knipe or Paul Lindsell at Lindsell Marketing
Tel: 020 7434 2090
Fax: 020 7437 4130
E-Mail: lpr@atlas.co.uk“

From FairfaxIT: Three-dimensional graphics card maker nVidia is considering establishing an Australian developer liaison based in either Sydney or Melbourne to support the burgeoning video games industry there.

Maddog writes “Making an animation with the GIMP is an easy matter. It’s the same simple frame by frame concept you might have played with as a kid, drawing images on different pages of a tablet and then flipping the pages. All that’s involved is making a number of layers which will act as frames, putting them together, and saving your work as an animated GIF.
From Pinehead.com.“

PCWorld.com: “Housed in a sturdy, silver case, the Digital Relay is longer and slightly boxier than
the typical stand-alone CD player–and yet, at just 5 by 1 by 7.5 inches, it’s sleeker
than most competing portable CD-RW drives (from companies like Iomega and
MicroSolutions) that connect to a PC through a USB port.”