11.02.07
Posted in GNU/Linux, IBM, Interview, NetWare, Novell, OpenSUSE, SCO at 9:20 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Not much Novell and SUSE news in the past week…
Here is what was found and picked nonetheless.
OpenSUSE
Stephan Binner of OpenSUSE had an interview with him published.
On this ‘People of openSUSE’ week we interviewed the greatest openSUSE and KDE addict yet. He is also one of the administrators who takes care of both English and German openSUSE wikis and a bunch of other openSUSE related things: Stephan ‘Beineri’ Binner.
PCWorld had a short article that which a review of OpenSUSE 10.3 as a desktop.
Ultimately, OpenSUSE’s bid to be all things to all users betrays its origins as the developmental branch of SUSE Linux, and as a result, this distribution will be most attractive to Linux hobbyists. It’s free, so nothing is stopping you from giving it a whirl. But business power users will benefit more from a polished, commercial desktop Linux distribution such as Xandros, while new users will likely find Ubuntu’s limited menu more palatable than OpenSUSE’s buffet.
Francis went through KDE4, which runs under OpenSUSE, and provided screenshots, along with annotation.
Plasma is actually progressing pretty well. You shouldn’t expect it to be bug-free, but I can really see everything coming together. Plasmoids are definitely going to take off, and I’m sure you’ll be able to eventually find one for just about anything you want.
A comparison between Ubuntu Linux and OpenSUSE gave high marks to both.
My default distributions is PCLinuxOS and I am not a fanboy of either Ubuntu or OpenSUSE.
I have tried to be as impartial as I can, but I am human after all and can be biased.
This comparison is written purely with people new to Linux or for people who wants to get things done easily.
Advanced users may find it lacking or might even differ with my views, apologies to them, but I am basing this for average user.
Andreas took a look at YaST’s new functionality, which has counterparts in other Linux distrubutions.
The casual reader of news.opensuse.org knows that openSUSE 10.3 contains a YaST tool for creating images using KIWI.
Novell’s Products and Business
A project led by Novell won an innovation award.
Further validating its position at the forefront of technology innovation, Novell has announced the Bandit project’s DigitalMe information card selector is the winner of the HP-International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Privacy Innovation Award, in the technology category.
Novell Teaming + Conferencing, which was introduced and mentioned last week, gets NMS Open Access.
Novell Teaming + Conferencing, designed to help boost end user and team productivity and reduce overall customer costs, improves the everyday business processes people engage in to create, share, discuss and manage information. With NMS Open Access boards , Novell Teaming + Conferencing users can now collaborate using voice over IP (VoIP) based clients or directly to a remote member’s telephone, while using the Teaming + Conferencing web collaboration tools.
The following NetworkWorld post offers some praises to NetWare.
Anyone who has ever run Netware knows the stability of it. It doesn’t crash. You don’t need to reboot it just because it’s been running for a month, or a year, or two.
With Netware, you can change key components of it, e.g. the printing subsystem, without rebooting – UNLOAD SERVICE, (a little file copying), LOAD SERVICE. Even Windows 2003 forces you to reboot for “changes to take effect” all too often.
From Jim Ebzery, Senior Vice President for Identity and Security Management at Novell, comes this.
Security information and event management (SIEM) can help administrators track security data in a networked environment and counter potential threats
On the SCO front, not much has happened, but Novell and IBM are still trying to intercept SCO’s plan to sell UNIX.
IBM and Novell on Thursday asked a bankruptcy court judge to block The SCO Group’s sale of its Unix technology to a private equity firm, which the software vendor has proposed as part of its Chapter 11 reorganization effort.
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Posted in Deception, Europe, Free/Libre Software, GPL, Microsoft at 8:26 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
The deals which Microsoft has signed with Linux vendors, among a variety of other moves such as the OSI ‘invasion’, bring many benefits to Microsoft. Apart from the fact that Microsoft’s causes damage from the inside, e.g. by making agreements, deals and licences incompatible with the GPL and extracting money from Free software, Microsoft also gives the impression that it’s a player in the Linux and open source world. To the average MBA (or CIO), all our discussions about Microsoft’s true motives are lost in the fog which is the biased, one-sided press.
“Governments have begun embracing plans to reduce procurement costs and lock-in.”The situation we are dealing with is complicated, so various parts of it should be considered in isolation. To look at one among many issues (it’s worth stressing that it’s just a small part of a much larger situation), consider this. Governments have begun embracing plans to reduce procurement costs and lock-in. The way to establish this is to encourage (or force) acquisition of open source technologies. Microsoft cannot afford to let itself be excluded from definitions that speak about ‘open source’. Consider, for instance, this new press release from Frost (which does a lot of business with Microsoft, by the way).
South Africas Open Source Software Market Builds on the Government’s Adoption of FOSS Policy
[...]
While the South African open source software (OSS) market is still in its development stage, the recent decision by the South African Government to adopt a Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) policy is a significant boost for the industry.
Also consider this other new press release.
Federal Government Votes for Open Source
[...]
The Federal Open Source Alliance, an organization devoted to open source education, today announced the results of its “Federal Open Source Referendum” study, the first annual report designed to identify current open source adoption rates and trends in the Federal market.
Here is an article that was published just hours ago:
More than half of all U.S. government executives have rolled out open-source software at their agencies, and 71 percent believe their agency can benefit from open-source software, according to a survey.
If Microsoft is unable to pretend that it has ‘joined the club’ (open source movement), then it will be left behind. Therefore, be aware of Microsoft’s motives in submitting licenses to the OSI. Also recall the bit of analysis which shows us that Microsoft may have already exploited their apparent involvement in “open source”. They used this perceived membership in order to deceive in Europe and inject its anti-GPL poison into an important agreement [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11].
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Posted in Novell at 6:37 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
An article has just been withdrawn whose headline was: “Rumor: Novell To Lay Off 1100?”. It was a valid page at some stage, but it has expired since it reached my feed reader (I was asleep at the time).
Bear in mind that we knew about the previous wave of layoffs a few weeks before the media reported it. We found a leak from an anonymous source.
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Posted in GNU/Linux, Google, OIN, Oracle, Patents at 3:43 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
A new article explores the arsenal of patents Linux has collected — patents which can be used defensively.
The Linux world has been all atwitter since Acacia Technologies Group filed a lawsuit against Red Hat and Novell alleging that their versions of Linux infringe on three patents. Just how big is the risk to Linux from patent lawsuits? One indication may come from a look at current US patent publications related to or mentioning Linux.
One must not forget the joint force of OIN, which pretty much renders a lot of the current patent system moot. OIN potentially serves as a way of mocking and taking apart the teeth and claws of that tiger called USPTO.
Related and older articles:
A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to talk to OIN’s CEO, Jerry Rosenthal, who was with IBM for 37 years before setting up OIN. His comments about patent trolls – companies whose business is based purely around suing others for alleged patent infringement, rather than on making and selling things – and how to deal with them, are particularly interesting in the light of what has happened since the interview took place.
Open Invention Network (OIN), a US firm funded by six companies including IBM and Red Hat, is exploring possibilities in India to spur innovation and protect the Linux systems widely seen as a slow but certain challenge to Microsoft’s propriet ary Windows operating system.
Linux is a free operating system and is gaining popularity with computer makers such as Dell, HP, and Lenovo.
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Posted in Apple, Boycott Novell, Corel, IBM, Office Suites, OpenDocument, Standard, SUN at 3:32 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Here is a PDF-formatted press release [PDF] from the ODF Alliance. It concludes the discussions on ODF in a very recent meeting.
Following are the highlights of the most recent announcements about new and improved application support for ODF:
- IBM’s Lotus Symphony… includes an ODF-supporting word processor, a spreadsheet….
- Apple’s Text Edit…
- Corel WordPerfect Office Beta allows users to open, view, and edit ODF…
- Adobe’s Buzzword…
- Sun ODF Plug-in 1.1 for Microsoft Office….
- OpenOffice.org version 2.3…
So who is it that strives to convince you that only Sun Microsystems supports ODF?
Last week’s news:
More resources:
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Posted in Antitrust, Asia, Microsoft at 3:11 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
“Because “quickie” has a sexual connotation, we shall from now on use the string “Quick Mention: “”Sometimes we find a particular piece of news which is only worth a mention, but is not worthy of a whole story or further commentary. In the past we prepended, on very few occasions, the string “Quickie: ” to flag such items (for filtering purpose, whether mental or actual filters). Because “quickie” has a sexual connotation, we shall from now on use the string “Quick Mention: “. This will be an indicator in items that contain little original content and are mainly pointers to breaking and/or important news.
Today, the quick item you may wish to be aware of is this: Will Microsoft follow European open source edict worldwide?
The Guangzhou Daily in southern China, near Hong Kong, reports the company has not yet agreed to fulfill the conditions of its European agreement in China.
[...]
China just recently passed an anti-trust law, the paper writes, which is not yet in effect, and Microsoft (China) Co. Ltd. did not tell the paper when or if it would release the code outside Europe.
This could play a big role in fair interoperability debates, where Novell has become a foe (sidling with Microsoft plan for Linux ‘patent fees’).
For context:
Because of their products’ large market shares in China, companies like Microsoft, Intel, and Kodak are among those with obvious reason to be watching these developments closely.
In 2005, a unit of Shenzhen Donjin countersued, saying Intel engaged in monopolistic practices.
Specifically, Bill Gates, citing China as an example, said:
“Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but people don’t pay for the software,” he said. “Someday they will, though. As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They’ll get sort of addicted, and then we’ll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade.”
According to Korean newspaper Chosun, the US software mammoth has been accused of causing a loss in sales revenue estimated at W30bn (US$1=W918) because the firm’s Windows operating system comes pre-loaded with a media player and instant messaging.
Seoul Central District Court confirmed yesterday that Digito was suing Microsoft in the US and Korea, claiming that the software giant had violated the Fair Trade Act since 2000.
Lu argued that Microsoft had violated his legal rights by providing a formal contract which had to be accepted in order to proceed with the installation.
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Posted in Formats, GNU/Linux, Microsoft, Mono, Novell, Standard at 2:43 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Squashing the threat before it grows too big
Microsoft has predatory and malicious plans for absolute domination. Neither forget nor underestimate Novell’s role in helping Microsoft conquer the Web [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Novell is — in that respect — Microsoft’s best buddy. Particularly, Mono’s leadership plays a significant role here, but no fingers will be pointed at individuals, for reasons that PJ shrewdly mentioned in my new interview with her. Novell as a whole should accept the blame collectively, for it is them that actively permit this to happen. The logo below speak for itself. It shows what framework is partly responsible for this mess.
You may be wondering about Microsoft’s stubborn attempt to elbow and derail Linux off the Web. Action is progressing. Microsoft has begun butting heads with Mozilla and this development can by no means be ignored.
Eich charged in turn that Microsoft’s arguments are self-serving. “At best, we have a fundamental conflict of visions and technical values between the majority and the minority,” he wrote. “However, the obvious conflict of interest between the standards-based web and proprietary platforms advanced by Microsoft, and the rationales for keeping the web’s client-side programming language small while the proprietary platforms rapidly evolve support for large languages, does not help maintain the fiction that only clashing high-level philosophies are involved here.”
There is a true danger here. I would like to quote a message from a friend. It was posted to USENET only half an hour ago.
I also have no interest in GNU/Linux becoming the “dominant” OS. Unlike Microsoft, I am not interested in “taking over the world”, and therefore I really don’t care what OS other people use, provided their activities do not interfere with mine. However, both Microsoft and their products do in fact cause severe problems for non-Windows users, such as:
- Bot-nets of zombie Windows machines spewing spam and DDoS attacks
- Broken standards in networking, the Web, documents, and media
- Windows-only DRM systems
- Windows-only drivers
- Windows-only hardware (Win-modems, BIOSes, DirectX extensions, etc.)
- Windows-only software and services
- Patents held by mainly proprietary software vendors
- Sabotage of FOSS companies and projects, and their activities
- Anti-Linux FUD and lies spread by Microsoft and their proxies
- Deceit, corruption and bribery by Microsoft, to ensure “dominance”
- Microsoft’s perversion of the standards process and related bodies
- Microsoft’s perversion of public utilities with proprietary standards
- Coercive OEM deals designed to inhibit GNU/Linux adoption
- Government “lobbying” to implement Microsoft’s agenda as law
So I do not think it has ever really been a case of wanting GNU/Linux to “dominate”, but rather a question of simply getting rid of the threat to society posed by Microsoft. Where Windows users would go in the event of such a happy outcome, I really don’t care.
The fact is, that Microsoft and its proxies are violent, aggressive, and grossly reprehensible goons with a criminal mentality, who have embarked on a quest to essentially “take over”, (pretty much everything they can get their grubby hands on), all in the name of greed. They simply do not care how contemptuous their behaviour is, as long as it results in great big wads of cash – that’s all that matters to them.
“Both companies strive to achieve effective exclusion of the competition using proprietary and patent-encumbered technologies.”Watch the links at the beginning of this article again. It would be wasteful to repeat stories we have told before and elaborate on explanation we provided along with references. However, in any case, Novell is clearly becoming an integral part of the aggressor and oppressor, which is Microsoft. As such, both Novell and Microsoft will continue to have our eyes on them. Microsoft’s agenda seems inseparable from that of Novell at times. Both companies strive to achieve effective exclusion of the competition using proprietary and patent-encumbered technologies.
On this Halloween we are reminded yet again that we should be very afraid of Microsoft. Moreover, a column in ComputerWorld, which is a reputable source, dares to tell us that Microsoft needs to be killed. These words come from a long-time Microsoft expert and watcher.
Here’s a scary thought: Microsoft can take over your computer wherever you are, and do whatever it wants to.
Good read. Have a quick look.
Related Article:
Iowa antitrust case: Microsoft exec called software developers ‘pawns
A Microsoft Corp. technical evangelist referred to independent software developers writing for Windows and the company’s other software platforms as “pawns” and compared wooing them to convincing someone to have a one-night stand, according to testimony presented Friday against Microsoft in an ongoing antitrust case in Iowa.
Ed: think about Web developers that blindly use Silverlight and cling on to Microsoft’s void promise of interoperability.
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11.01.07
Posted in FSF, GNU/Linux, Novell, Patents, Red Hat at 9:53 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Lunacy makes a comeback
Lookie here! Our little 'friend', which is also Microsoft’s friend [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9], is boasting its new and shiny product sheet of paper.
Acacia Research Corporation announced today that its Acacia Patent Acquisition Corporation subsidiary has acquired patents for projector technology.
Society has never known better development and innovation. The consumer will truly be pleased. Of course, we’re being sarcastic because neither the consumer nor the industry (so-called ‘inventors’) will benefit from lawsuits. Only lawyers will win and monopolies will have their fences in tact. Fortunately, as the following article reveals, a new coalition is formed to fight software patents, such as the ones used by Acacia against Red Hat and Novell.
What could make the Free Software Foundation (FSF), proprietary software companies, and at least one venture capitalist into allies? The End Software Patents (ESP) coalition, a new organization poised to swing into action next month under the leadership of Ben Klemens.
But, but, but… wasn’t there supposed to be a reform as well? It gets worse. Not only does the government face a lot of resistance to change, but it has also just fallen a victim to more tactless decisions.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from enforcing new rules that would impose some roadblocks on patent applications.
[...]
Critics of the current rules say continuation applications have been abused, and that the system is overburdened, and have generally supported the Patent Office’s move. For its part, the office says the changes would help to reduce a backlog of applications to be processed.
This is madness. According to one source, it is estimated that about 800,000 applications (quoting from memory) are yet to go through the USPTO ‘acid test’, which set its barriers far too low. With this absurd policy and a worrisome patent/lawsuit culture in place, we’re likely to find more unfortunate stories like the following two, which are new.
The stacks of legal documents flying back and forth come at a time when both companies are hitting their stride. HP has been the reigning No. 1 PC vendor in the world for the past year and continues to report strong quarterly results.
Wi-LAN Inc. (WIN.T) has started patent-infringement litigation in Texas against 22 major companies in two actions.
Wi-LAN said the companies include Acer Inc., Apple Inc., Atheros Communications Inc., Belkin International Inc., Best Buy Co., Broadcom Corp. , Buffalo Technology (USA) Inc., Circuit City Stores, Inc., Dell Inc., D-Link Corp., Gateway Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., Infineon Technologies AG, Intel Corp., Lenovo Group Ltd., Marvell Semiconductor Inc., Netgear Inc., Sony Corp…
Related articles:
When Patents Threaten Science
Patents should not be used to protect laws of nature, products of nature, or mathematical formulas.
Patent Trolls: The Record Examines the Myths
Spencer Hosie of the Recorder this week examined the myths involved in what has commonly been termed “patent trolling”. The article comes in the wake of Bodog (an online gambling firm) losing its coveted brand name to a group that sued over patent infringement.
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