Linux - Who deserves the credit?

Is there one cell that can take full credit for you being alive? Some people may say, YES! The fertilized cell that started the entire process in your mother's womb. It is this analogy that I use to explain the relationship between Linus Torvalds and Linux. Once Linus Torvalds GPL licensed his kernel it allow thousands of kernel developers to build a mature Linux kernel. Today, you can't single out one developer as having the greatest impact. The kernel is developed by hundreds of talented people each experts in their field of development. So not just one developer can be singled out as the main contributor.

Take a step back from the Linux Kernel and realize that this is the case for all open source projects. The most successful ones comes from projects that have hundreds of developers. It is this team work, sharing of the code and battles between developers that makes Linux/GNU software so dynamic and flexible. I have never seen anything so chaotic at a personal level and yet so ordered in its final release code. It is something that a company would quickly repel and summarize as impossible to control. Maybe it is the elimination of control that brings so much beauty to the open source community. It maybe something deeply embedded in nature which makes a community function so efficiently.

Linux is not the majority of the code in a distribution. It is only 2-4MB in size. The rest of the code is the GNU software. The software is what user interact with in a computer. No one interacts with the operating system. The operating system is just a way of managing computer resources like video display, memory modules, SATA harddrive, sound system, etc.. Applications speak to the kernel and ask for the resources it needs. So why is Linux the word used to symbolize everything and not GNU software. I believe that Linux is the only part that can't be removed from the distribution. For example, you can take away Firefox or any group of other application from Linux distribution and it will still be Linux. However, you can't take away Linux from the distributions and still call it Linux. Linux is what binds all the software together.

AMD releases new Linux Driver

The AMD Catalyst 9.3 driver is out with OpenGL composite support. Now more 3D games will work seamlessly with ATI cards running compiz. If you ever had to turn off compiz to play a 3D game then you know how much you want this driver. Sometimes Linux can be a little glitchy due to lack of support both on the proprietary and community front. As I understand it compiz has been stale for a while. I hope that someone can pick up the work as compiz is one of the top Linux projects that Microsoft wished it could integrate inside its OS.

The new driver also comes with a new Catalyst control center. The control center has the ability to add HDTV modes for displays. If the display does not have the mode or is corrupted you will be able to add it manually. In addition, it has adjustments for color temperature, overscan and HDMI settings. The driver will enable RandR 1.2 for dual GPU graphic cards and video playback after resuming from S4 has also been fixed.

Enjoy!

Ubuntu Virtual Training with Guest Speaker Mark Shuttleworth

If your organisation is interested in a Ubuntu desktop and server deployment, sign up for the Ubuntu virtual classroom on May 4th. And, as a bonus, Mark Shuttleworth will be the guest speaker. The first virtual classroom will be aimed at organisations that have already deployed Ubuntu. I would be interested in watching the virtual classroom as it will have plenty of tips on how to administer a Ubuntu desktop.

You can find more details here.

40 Years of OS milestones and still going STRONG!

Maybe this is a way to celebrate Linux's birthday. Maybe its just a way go back in time when computers were young. Whatever draws you into reading this post and the following article on 40 year of OS milestones. It is something we should celebrate as computers have changed our entire world.

40 Years of Os milestones

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What if Linux kills Microsoft?

One of the great by products of capitalism is that companies compete with each other and consumers get a variety of products and services out of competition. The force behind this fierce competition is due to the accumulation of wealth by individuals. When capitalism is allowed to go unchecked it produces monopolies which can hurt consumers and other companies by limiting choice and stopping competition. Microsoft has played this game so well that it is considered an legal monopoly in the United States.

The power that Microsoft had was limitless before Linux became popular with the software industry. It opened up an opportunity for the most unlikely competitor to grow and mature. It is quite unthinkable for Linux to have thrived so quickly without Microsoft's help. Billions of dollars were spent on Linux to make it what it is now by major companies. It had overcome Microsoft's anti-Linux propaganda, Microsoft Return On Investment propaganda and Microsoft/SCO lawsuit. Things that would have killed any company threatening Microsoft.

As you may already know that Linux is different. It is not a company it is a community. This community gave birth to code that is licensed under the GPL. The GPL in short is what garlic does to a vampire. Microsoft can not use the GPL as it violates its core belief, never to share anything with anyone. Proprietary is a word that Microsoft wills. It makes greedy people salavate. It is the reason why Microsoft became so powerful. Yet not more powerful than a couple of giant companies which helped Linux slowly gain credibility.

Let's imagine that Linux kills off Micrsoft. Microsoft gets bought off by IBM or Google. Now what is going to happen to Linux. Will Linux continue to thrive now that it has no more enemies? It is possible that Linux could die out with Microsoft. Now that companies are no longer affraid of Microsoft, Linux may no longer have a function. I don't mean it will happen immediately but after serveral years Linux will be consider mainstream and other technologies may start to replace it. Now that Microsoft is no longer a threat it is possible that the infrastructure of Linux may not be needed.

So we say goodbye to Linux the open source OS. Replaced by another OS part proprietary and part open source. Someone in the past said that if you don't learn from the past you are bound to repeat it. So will Microsoft get resurrected in the future? And will Linux come back to save them all again?

TomTom Fights back with Open Invention Networks (OIN)

* The Open Invention Network(OIN) is a company that acquires patents and licenses them royalty free to entities which, in turn, agree not to assert their own patents against Linux or Linux related applications.

TomTom has made an incredible move to counter act Microsoft today, March 23rd. They have joined the Open Invention Network and therefore has received for free:

1. Lawyers to fight Microsoft
2. The collective patents of IBM, SONY, NEC, Phillips, Novel and Redhat to kick Microsoft's behind
3. Made the Open Source Community HAPPY!

I think this is a checkmate move for TomTom. If Microsoft wants to pick on the little guys, well they just opened a can of worms. Once the news is out that you can join OIN and protect yourself from Microsoft's illegal tactics. It is only a matter of time before patents will become meaningless to Linux.

Microsoft can go either way on this one. If they continue to fight TomTom, it could hurt them financially as patent fights can be costly. In addition, if they loose the patent war in its worst case scenario, the lawsuit could drain them financially. The money will be used by OIN to make itself stronger against more patent wars and help Linux in patent suits.

The other scenario is that Microsoft backs down on the lawsuit. If they do, it will be a big win for Linux companies. As this will show Linux's power and all the other companies that Microsoft harassed will now be freed. This will lower Microsoft's revenue from their illegal tax collection from Linux companies. It will also mean that Linux companies will not be afraid of Microsoft any longer.

The only chance Microsoft has is to sue TomTom and hope that they don't get axed by OIN and some how they have enough patents to get something out of it. I can't wait for what is to come. It will definitely cause a stir around the I.T. circle which may give Linux more mind shares in the end.

So, let's hope that Microsoft does sue TomTom as it could mean the final end to a monopoly.

Bye, bye microsoft...

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TomTom Sues Microsoft

Well, if you haven't yet heard that TomTom is suing Microsoft on 4 GPS patents, I am glad you stopped by. Microsoft is going to finally get a fight from TomTom. This basically comes down to the fact that Microsoft can't leave well enough alone.

Now everyone knows a little about probability. Many things are regulated by it like a poker game, a coin toss and quantum mechanics. Well, while Microsoft was looking for new companies to illegally extract revenue from they landed in a hornet's nest. From Microsoft's perpective suing TomTom was going to be a routine procedure. It wanted as little attention as possible so they could continue to their next victim. But, it had to play the Linux patent card to scare TomTom. This alerted the Open Source community to pay attention. In a short amount of time it was revealed that Microsoft is harassing Linux companies into giving them money for patents that are invalid. Turning Microsoft into a patent troll and revealing Microsoft's worst nightmare. TomTom will fight them and they will be placed under a microscope by the Open Source community. It was in Microsoft's card to have landed in such a mess.

Microsoft will now pay for their illegal activity. When they lose this patent war against TomTom they will have a weaker position in the software industry. I hope that other companies will sue Microsoft for extracting money from them. It may cause a dominoe effect that could lead Microsoft to lose mindshares. In so doing, Microsoft stock will fall and its great empire will collapse.

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Exchange compatibility in Gnome 2.26

Microsoft Exchange has had a good chunk of the email market. And, therefore, many devoted Linux users will be happy to hear Gnome 2.26 will have a version of Evolution which will have native support for Microsoft Exchange protocol.

Evolution will have direct import of Outlook Personal Folders which includes email, contacts, appointments, tasks and journal entries. This will make Linux a first class Exchange client. Bringing down another barrier stopping the Linux Desktop from growing. I hope this will in some way make Linux more popular to all users.

I will rejoice when it is bug free. It will inspire me to install Ubuntu 9.04 on my work desktop which currently has Ubuntu 8.04. This is a must have feature for me and something I must test out.

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What if Linux was tomorrows standard OS?

I believe that as Linux becomes more common and talked about all over the world. The biggest impression people have of Linux is that it must be free. It should not be sold but given away. Of course this is not true. The GPL License in no way says that anyone that downloads Linux can't sell it. It gives the user the power to modify and distribute Linux. In exchange, the modification must be available to everyone. This is the power behind Linux. This is how Linux grows better and stronger.

Thousands of companies have downloaded Linux and have kept their promise to the GPL. They have in turn modernized Linux with their hardware drivers and software technology. Companies in return have received millions of dollars from selling Linux powered hardware and software. In so doing a symbiosis between the Linux community and big business has been born. It grows stronger each day and each day Linux in turn becomes more accepted and better as a tool.

At first the Linux community recented companies because they felt companies were not going to honor the GPL. They felt that companies were going to steal their hard work and give nothing back to the community. It was a concern among many devoted Linux users but they knew that Linux needed to work with companies. Companies had control of the hardware in which their software needed to run in. As companies slowly adopted Linux and showed in good faith that they were good citizens of the Linux community this feeling slowly disappeared. Don't get me wrong their has been lawsuits attempts to get some companies in line. The bottom line is that companies have provided Linux with a rich wealth of code, financial support and employment.

What began as a small project by a graduate student has become an amazing part of the software industry today. It has been able to keep a monopolistic company from tearing it apart as well as slowly grow during the worst part of the global economy.

I wonder what type of world would this be if Linux was the standard operating system globally. I believe that it will give startup companies, medium size companies and large companies an equal footing for innovation. It will provide everyone with open standards that will enable the American dream. In other words, anyone with a good idea and the smarts to implement it can become rich. It will spark capitalism without monopolism and that will provide consumer with the best products. It will give everyone choice.

Is choice good? Microsoft will say that it will confuse you. It is not good to have choice unless it is between Windows XP, Vista or 7. Of course they will sway you to buy Windows 7. After all it is the best technology Microsoft can develop. Does having limited choice make your consumer dumber? I believe that it does. It makes consumers less knowledgable and locked into one product. If there was only one car manufacture, for example, Toyota. How would this change the auto industry? What will happen to the details between car choices we have today? How many fans or car lovers would exist? Would everyone be satified with a Toyota car? I believe it would hinder innovation in the car industry. It would decrease the knowledge of cars as their is nothing to campare it too. It would cater to 90% of the population or less and make others pay dearly for any additional modifications.

In a world where their is choice and open standards everyone can compete freely. It doesn't give anyone a greater advantage. The advantage comes from the innovator and how well their idea is in sync with the consumer. It will increase the number of small and medium companies. It will therefore provide more jobs in the industry. It means that monopolies will not exist and that variety will flourish. This maybe the biggest gift Linux can give the world. As technology becomes more ubiquitous and the world more dependent on it. It will touch every corner of everyone's life in the future.

So be PROUD and use Linux!

Linux is losing ground on netbook sales

There is a company, Ovum, that researched the netbook market share and reported the following:

after a strong start, Linux netbooks have now been overtaken by Windows netbooks and Linux is lagging increasingly behind in terms of sales.

This is the high point of the report as it takes on a much darker aspect of the Linux market.

Linux's performance in the netbook segment is still outstanding compared to its overall performance in the desktop market.

Ouch! but possibly true.

Let's take a look at this report. Linux had a strong start until Microsoft came along and started doing their borderline illegal tactics. They basically begged and paid vendors to help them advertise Windows XP with incentives. In many cases, this meant that you could get a Windows netbook with better hardware then a Linux netbook at equal or cheaper price point. In other cases, it meant that Windows had hardware that was not available on Linux but you still could get a discount that made it a no brainer to choose Windows. In either case, Microsoft got away with murder because they were able to abuse their power. Maybe the reason they had to lay off 5,000 employees and their stock price is unstable.

The big loser here is still Vista as it was the first Operating System Windows attempted to use in netbooks. Did the report say anything about Vista having zero market shares in the netbook market? I don't think so. Any how netbooks are cool devices but I don't think Microsoft currently has an answer to MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) runing on the ARM processors. If these devices sold at a lower price of netbooks become popular during this economic downturn, Microsoft may have a weak spot. When people get used to Linux on MIDs they may turn to it on netbooks and from their on to desktops. Reversing the research done by Ovum.

The other chance Linux has is through Google's Android Operating System. If Google chooses to compete on the desktop market with Microsoft, it could lead to some exciting times in the Tech industry. As Google has the muscle and weight to counter act anything Microsoft has. This is a fight I am willing to report on, if only Google would take the first step.

The other thing that must be said is that Windows 7 is not out yet. Many report Windows 7 as the right stuff to replace Windows XP. I don't know if this is true but can Windows 7 actually run on a netbook with anti-virus software and an Office suite. I believe that it can but will be limited in functionality. If so, Linux may still have a chance in reclaiming more netbook market shares.

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Oracle urges Red Hat to give away its product

Red Hat is a symbol of the open source business model. I have proudly installed Red Hat Linux on several servers at work. I have successfully passed the RHCT exam and I will be taking the RHCE exam this coming June, paid by my employer.

Though after reading the article below maybe it is about time Red Hat changes its policy on downloading its enterprise product. After all Oracle allows you to download their product for free and several other companies do the same. Why shouldn't Red Hat an Open Source company do the same?

Red Hat can increase its user base by allowing users to download their enterprise version of Linux. In addition when these users see the value of Red Hat in their business they will immediately purchase a subscription.

Please read: Oracle Urges Red Hat Linux to give away its product

Indian Politicians Backup Linux

Indian politicians see the value of Linux and strongly favor Open Source software. Is this an India only phenomenon or will this start to slowly spread to other countries. I believe that the economic problems affecting the world will cause change in the software industry of today. The change which it will bring will allow a new competitor to merge and shine where no other was possible.

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Linux Desktop Saves Millions

The Microsoft monopoly is in a constant struggle to stay alive in today's economic times. Slowly but surely the Linux desktop is being deployed to governments and businesses around the world. The benefits that Linux has over Microsoft in the security and open standard field is being recognized. A line that is difficulty for Microsoft to cross over to. Mainly due to its business model and backwards compatibility to its past operating systems.

I can't predict the future of Microsoft but I can only imagine a brighter future for Linux. As Linux today is being used by thousands of companies to innovate on products. Linux and its open standards will cause the biggest explosion of innovation never seen before in history. It will take people to other planets and probe the universe as we have never seen before. As for businesses it will allow anyone to compete in an equal footing. Opening up millions of new jobs by creating thousands of new businesses. The world will be a fairer more competitive world where the American dream still exists. Countless of industries world wide may now be awaking to Linux. Let the power of innovation take them as far as they can go.

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Linux Commercial Videos

In the spirit of the Open Source community the penguins were out making video commercials to popularise the free operating system. Everyone was allowed to enter the contest which will send the winner to the Linux Foundation Japan Linux Symposium in October 2009. The contest ended on March 15th, 2009. Now the work has started by the judges to pick out the best commercial.

I have seen some of the many entries sent to the Linux Foundation. Many of them are a bit rough as they only used a video camera to convey their idea. Of course to get a professional commercial you need millions of dollar worth of equipment and actors. The ideas sent by these individuals are far better then most commercial today. Only one of these commercials will be the winner and it is my hope that it will be recreated professionally and displayed on general TV.

It would be nice to see Linux again on TV. The last time I remember a Linux commercial was by IBM. It was a great commercial but the only people that could decode it was Linux users. I think we need a commercial that says we compete against Microsoft and Apple on a one to one basis. Apple successfully did this with "I am a PC and I am a Mac" commercial.

As for the best Linux Foundation entry I liked, click here and enjoy.

CBO

Can Google put Microsoft out of Business?

It seems that Google might have all the right stuff to put Microsoft out of business. Google already has the online applications with Google doc, Google Mail, and Google Calendar. All they need is a desktop free of charge. Wait.. How about Android? Yeah, thats the ticket. Now all Google needs is a way to invade Microsoft's territory. I mean Active Directory Server and Microsoft Exchange. Oh wait isn't the samba team working on Samba 4 which will replace Microsoft Active Directory Service. And, isn't evolution able to connect to Microsoft Exchange. I think that could work.

So, I guess that Microsoft better start innovating. But, could it be too late for them. They chose the path of least resistance. Now it may be too late to start innovating. Microsoft must now do what they can to keep their business in tact. It will mean that Microsoft must sue anything Linux and cause themselves to publicly destroy their good Open Source image.

Check out the article here.

SCO's Official Complaint

This story angers me in so many levels because Microsoft has always unofficially publicized that Linux users and hackers are uneducated hippies. People that don't fit into today's society. While publicly Microsoft continues to publicized that they are a fairer and kinder company. That they welcome any challenge from Linux because it will allow them to compete harder. I say this is a sack of crap! Microsoft is not playing fairly. It is using every illegal tactic in its arsenal to destroy Linux. It is suing TomTom on baseless patents. And, it is patent threating the SAMBA team. It funded and used SCO to discredit the Linux kernel. In fact, this is what SCO said in its official complaint:

82. Linux started as a hobby project of a 19-year old student. Linux has evolved through bits and pieces of various contributions by numerous software developers using single processor computers. Virtually none of these software developers and hobbyists had access to enterprise-scale equipment and testing facilities for Linux development.

Without access to such equipment, facilities, sophisticated methods, concepts and coordinated know-how, it would be difficult or impossible for the Linux development community to create a grade of Linux adequate for enterprise use.

83. As long as the Linux development process remained uncoordinated and random, it posed little or no threat to SCO, or to other UNIX vendors, for at least two major reasons: (a) Linux quality was inadequate since it was not developed and tested in coordination for enterprise use and (b) enterprise customer acceptance was non-existent because Linux was viewed by enterprise customers as a “fringe” software product.

84. Prior to IBM’s involvement, Linux was the software equivalent of a bicycle. UNIX was the software equivalent of a luxury car. To make Linux of necessary quality for use by enterprise customers, it must be re-designed so that Linux also becomes the software equivalent of a luxury car.

This re-design is not technologically feasible or even possible at the enterprise level without (1) a high degree of design coordination, (2) access to expensive and sophisticated design and testing equipment; (3) access to UNIX code, methods and concepts; (4) UNIX architectural experience; and (5) a very significant financial investment.

85. For example, Linux is currently capable of coordinating the simultaneous performance of 4 computer processors. UNIX, on the other hand, commonly links 16 processors and can successfully link up to 32 processors for simultaneous operation.

Microsoft uses SCO to indirectly sue Linux. They do this because they are under careful watch of being a monopoly. Microsoft sees the Linux threat early on but can't do much to stop Linux. Microsoft, why don't you just innovate? Make your product worth the money people are paying for it. If you are so far superior to Open Source just continue to innovate and let the rest take care of itself. I guarantee that Linux is not paying anyone to make it look good. It is just word of mouth.

Fight: Microsoft Technician attack Open Source guy

This economy is causing the worst to come out of people. I have just read a story where an Open Source guy was attacked by a Microsoft Technician. Who is to blame for the fight? The Microsoft Technician is blaming Open Source because they are losing jobs due to the popularity of Linux.

The worst part, I imagine, is the memo released by the business on how to deal with Open Source. It seems that the Microsoft Technicians took the memo a little too seriously. They verbally attacked someone blaming them for their lost business. Makes me wonder what goes on behind Microsoft dependent businesses. We hear in forums the garbage that Linux users say about Microsoft in the open with complete transparency. However, the garbage that Microsoft and their business partners are saying in close doors is finally coming out.

In the past, Linux users were tagged as fanatics by Microsoft users. Now that Linux is becoming popular who is the fanatic? How many more confrontations from Microsoft Technicians will it take to demonstrate that Microsoft is fighting a cold war against Linux. Or for that matter why should any Open Source guy bite their tongue when commenting their frustration of Microsoft Crappy technology like Vista, Windows 2000,Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 95 and Windows CE. I do like Windows XP SP2 but now Microsoft is killing that. I thought as a company you build on top of your successes not destroy them and bring something that SUCKS!

It is not that Open Source is killing jobs, but, that jobs are now shifting over to Linux. If you want to be a computer technician learn Linux and you will be able to handle calls from either technology. If you can't adopt to the new technology, it is not Open Source's fault but yours. Don't go out and start a fight with an Open Source guy and blame him for your ignorance.

Click here to see the blog

Do you like science?

If you like science then you may be interested in this link, http://radiolab.org. This site has audio podcast that talks about Darwin's theory of evolution, multi-universes, DNA advancement, sperm cells, memory, sleep, and much more.

I found it by accident as I was listening to a radio show in my car while driving home late at night. I hope you enjoy it.

Google launches Android Desktop OS

The signs are looking good that Google will be working with Asus to launch their Android OS on netbooks. If Asus gets a good response on their Android netbook, it will spark other vendors to join the bandwagon. In my opinion, the same people that purchased the G1 phone will most likely be first to purchase an Asus Android netbook.

It looks like Microsoft will need to get Windows 7 out the door very quickly this year. Microsoft has many challenges in front of them:

1. Boot time in less then 30 seconds.
2. Bloatware, malware, spyware and botnets plague all Microsoft OS
3. Splashtop is running on most current laptops and desktops today.

Will Microsoft be able to solve these problems before Linux steals a significant part of the desktop market shares?

My Thoughts on Novell

What has Novell done for the Linux community? At first, their decision to become a Linux distributor was not well accepted in the Open Source community. The Linux community knew that Novell turned to Linux because it could not compete against Microsoft and needed to reinvent itself with a new product that had vision. This product was the Linux server/desktop operating system.

The Open Source's resistance to Novell as a Linux company was due to its upper management. The way they thought about business was Microsoft's way of doing business. In other words, it did not involve sharing, openness or being part of a community. It meant that Novell was going to cash out on Linux when it suited them. It meant that Novell didn't care about Linux's future but only about its revenue. At a time when Linux was trying to become popular they felt that Novell was going to taint their reputation and possibly hand it over to Microsoft.

Of course, other people felt different. They felt that Novell should be accepted into the community. Novell did many things that popularized Linux in their trade show and even had Linus Torvalds in it. They proudly voiced the GPL and even provided GPL software for the open source community. They produced a bunch of Novell Linux commercials that didn't make it to national television. However, it was cool to watch on the Internet with your Linux friends. The most significant action Novell made to help the Linux community was the fight against SCO. Novell owned the Unix copyright license which SCO claimed was sold to them. This false assumption now led SCO to sue Linux companies because they claimed Linux had thousands of Unix code embedded in it. These types of actions caused the Linux community to be less harsh with Novell.

Where is Novell today? They are still an open source company that sold their soul to Microsoft for revenues. It is the upper management that has made this decision. Novell is being boycotted by the open source community. Not that it matters as the Microsoft community of companies and vendors supports Novell Linux. This is an easy way of Novell making money because as soon as Microsoft doesn't need you it will kill you. The only thing that is helping Novell is the fact that Linux is Microsoft's worst enemy today. This is a way of Microsoft paying the Linux community lip service. As it will officially announce that they are doing their best to work with Linux servers to make a heterogeneous server environment possible. The Linux community knows better but to believe Microsoft paid reporters and journalists. This is how 80% of the world gets brain washed into believing a monopoly. As if you didn't know that already.

Creating Your Own Distro Is As Easy As 1.. 2.. 3..

Once upon a time making your own Linux distro meant that you were a Linux Guru. Now the process has been made wizard friendly and easy. Of course, this means that your future Linux desktop will be custom made to order. So that it can fit your personality and taste.

click here to read a related article.

Running Microsoft Games on Linux and Mac

Not too many newbies know this but you have a wide selection of games to run in Linux from the Windows world. All you need to do is dish out $39.95 for the Codeweaver Crossover Game installer and you can run over 100 games. Click here for the list of compatible games.

Click here to read more.

Linux Companies Sign Microsoft Patent Protection Pact

It seems some companies using the Linux kernel are in violation of GPLv2 section 7 and more explicitly GPLv3. Microsoft has been giving these companies a choice. Either you violate the GPL or you get sued by us. Now that TomTom has decided to go to court Microsoft has released this information but the exact companies remain a mystery as they signed an NDA.

How come a big company like Microsoft can legally commit blackmail or hold another company hostage? This is a sign of how outrageous and dangerous it has become to compete in America. Monopolies like Microsoft have too much control of the legal side which only works for the large companies. Let's see if Microsoft wants to fight IBM next.

Click here for entire story.

Another related story here.

Microsoft Attacks Linux

It seems that the Linux community is angered by Microsoft's patent suit against TomTom. This time the Linux community is not as vulnerable. It has gained the strength of thousands of companies and a stronger Linux community. Will this move bring a death blow to Microsoft? Is the Linux community not taking this as serious?

The future of Linux may hing on what happens next. As Microsoft makes this move will the win allow them to collect royalty money from other Linux vendors. How will this affect the future Linux companies in America? Will it be manipulated by Microsoft's hands? Will Microsoft rain over the software industry continue for decades to come?

In the other hand, Microsoft is at its weakest point in time. If there was a time for the Linux community to lay down a blow, it would be now. Microsoft's mind share is at an all time low. It's new operating system has not gain popularity. For the first time Microsoft has been forced to lay of workers. It's stock has reached an all time low. If the Linux community has one more fight in it. It could win this battle big and show vendors that Microsoft is not the 800 pound gorilla. It could cause them to unite and battle a common enemy stopping software innovation and capitalism.

What is your opinion?


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Enlightenment: MoonOS 2 looks beautiful

Imagine an OS that has all the eye candy you always wanted but with out the resource eating monster. Well, take a look at the Moon OS 2 desktop. It merges Ubuntu with the enlightenment desktop so that you benefit from Ubuntu's repository and Enlightenment's beautiful streamline desktop. It's a win win situation. Click here to read the article. If you can't wait just download the OS below:

Download moonOS 2 Main Edition

Enjoy this Linux Desktop,

CBO

Linux Desktop Deployment World Wide

The Linux desktop is making small strides. It is being seriously installed on government PCs and educational institutions. I only hope that from these seeds it will find more fertile grounds. Several stories below shows that it is happening.

Education in the Phillippines: Spreading the Freedom of Linux

Linux Desktop Education Deployments Planned in 29 US States

World's Largest Linux desktop deployment


CBO

Do you like bash scripting?

If you enjoy bash scripting or automating Linux jobs this article is for you. It has 57 tips on making a Linux Administrator's life a breeze. Not an article for newbies but doesn't hurt to peek.

Linux Tips

Take a look at my new blog

I have created a new blog today. It is a place where I will document howtos on Ubuntu Linux. This includes hardware drivers, themes, 3D desktop features, etc.. I would like Ubuntu users to use the site so that they can quickly turned any new Linux desktop into their ideal desktop.

Come and visit Ubuntu Desktop HowTos

CBO

Microsoft's Cold War Against Linux

Microsoft is open source's biggest threat. It paid SCO money to sue Linux companies. It voiced the message that Linux is used for illegal software activities, a cancer that will destroy software innovation, has a high ROI (Return on Investment) and is developed by uneducated programmers. It has spread rumors about software patents affecting the Linux kernel, calling open source users communists and claiming that Linux is unstable.

Since the beginning of this cold war to now the Linux community had responded in several forums with absolute anger and hatred for Microsoft which will continue until the company goes belly up. The fight with Microsoft has made Linux stronger by creating special foundations aimed at fighting patents, educating companies and hiring open source programmers.

Today's economy has for the first time allowed the world to see how vulnerable Microsoft truly is. It has shown how weak Microsoft has become during the cold war against Linux. The path that Microsoft followed to kill its competitor instead of innovating has now become a painful indicator of the wrong choice.

Can Microsoft survive a big mistake during today's time? Now that Vista has failed. Linux is stronger than ever. Companies by the thousands are using Linux to make money instead of paying Microsoft for their technology. It is a risk Microsoft is taking when it sues TomTom on the Linux kernel. No matter what the intent/reason is. If Microsoft angers the open source community and scares companies big and small it will certainly seal its death.

There was a time when Microsoft was so powerful that the collective strength of 13 states could not sue Microsoft. It appeared that Microsoft was above the law and almost everyone was brain washed by their world wide success. Americans had great pride knowing that Microsoft represented the best in computer technology. I imagine, if you have enough money, power and corruption you can make almost 80% of the world believe that you are the only solution to their problem.

It has monopolized the operating system market and Office suite. This allowed Microsoft to crush any small company that tried to develop something better. It had intentionally stopped thousands of companies from competing against it. As more vendors were hooked into just making software for its operating system. The alternative would be considered company suicide as Microsoft would crush them with its mighty weight. As it did many other times in the past as a demonstration of its power.

So, how come an operating system created by a student in Finland and developed entirely world wide on the Internet cause Microsoft so much trouble? Well, Linux just gain momentum due to the fears embedded into big companies like IBM and SUN. These two companies had thousands of employees that worked with Microsoft Windows. Imagine if Microsoft would alter its license and force companies to pay them every year. Even if they did not develop anything during that time. Microsoft called this Enterprise License 6. All of a sudden this new Linux OS appeared to be something of a savior/bargaining chip. It took a lot of time for Linux to gain significant market shares in the server space. It took a lot of time for Linux to gain acceptance in the proprietary market. It took a lot of time for Linux to become ubiquitous around the world. That time has come and Microsoft has had enough and it is now playing the final move in its chess game. Will Linux get checkmated or not? This will be the outcome that will unveil itself in the next few years.