Bonum Certa Men Certa

Novell News Summary - Part II: Intelligent Workload Management, Ballnux, and Bada

Iguana on palm



Summary: Novell news about Intelligent Workload Management and SLE*, Samsung's Bada is officially re-announced

SUSE (SLES/SLED)



THERE have arguably been more developments around SLES this week than in previous weeks, especially if one includes the announcement about Intelligent Workload Management (IWM). But we start with SUSE Studio, which can be considered part of OpenSUSE, even though Novell promotes it as a SUSE product. Here is a new post from the OpenSUSE Web site:





KIWI, invented by Marcus Schäfer, is a magnificent tool to build your own SUSE Linux distribution. It is also the backend of SUSE Studio.


A new distribution called StressLinux is based on SUSE Studio:

Built with SUSE Studio, this distribution isn't for the feint of heart and if you aren't familiar with the console or have never used applications like stress or hddtemp before, you may find it a bit confusing.


Last week we wrote about the GroundWork announcement and TMCNet is rewriting the press release, as usual. Roberto Galoppini spoke to David Dennis, who is senior director of product marketing at Groundwork. Their choice of SLES 11 was an unusual one (with the exception of Microsoft allies like SAP) and VB100 is now putting this distribution to the test.

The latest round of VB100 testing has been announced, with a comparative to be run on Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 in January. Products supporting the platform will be measured against the usual strict criteria to find if they are worthy of a coveted VB100 award.


A couple of people have written about ATI card in SUSE, one of whom gives guidance on SLED 11:

Anyway, I never wrote how to enable 3D Dekstop Effects with ATI graphics card as my personal Thinkpad uses nVidia. However, I had the opportunity to help Henry, our India Partner Executive, setup his Thinkpad T60p (with ATI Mobility FireGL V5250) with 3D Effects. As usual, the 3D Effects are already installed on his SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11. Its the graphics driver that is not 3D capable as Novell does not ship proprietary drivers with the base SLED 11.


SLED 11 has found its way into the Lenovo ThinkStation, which is not particularly surprising given the strong relationship between Microsoft and Lenovo [1, 2, 3, 4]. Lenovo favours 'Microsoft-approved' (and taxed) distributions.

Inside the S20, the features are also designed for professionals. The Quadro NVS graphics card, which SUSE 11 recognised easily, is a dual-DVI workhorse.


Looking again at the server side, SLES is to be put on more IBM mainframes (not unusual):

These Enterprise Linux Server mainframe bundles do not include licenses to Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, by the way. You have to buy those separately. Novell has aggressive pricing that let's you get Linux for $10,200 per engine (instead of the $15,000 list price), and if you want to prepay for five years of support, you can get the mainframe version of SLES support for $7,499 per engine.


More on Novell servers:

i. Hybrid Clouds: The Best Of Both Worlds?

Currently, the Egnyte software works with the NETGEAR ReadyNAS series and systems based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Server.


ii. Unified Communications Market to Hit $4.2B by 2014

"In the telecom area, for example, people might be looking at Cicso, Avaya, Nortel solutions, while on the data side they may be a Microsoft shop or a Novell shop, or they may have plans to do Linux or a little bit of Apple," Jim Koniecki, an IP vendor, told this publication.


Intelligent Workload Management



This was Novell's biggest announcement this week. Here is the press release (also in [1, 2]), Novell's marketing people yapping about it along with marketing man John Dragoon, who later expanded, and also plenty of coverage that includes:

IDG: Novell grabs for big role in virtualization security (also here and here)

Novell this week will lay out an ambitious plan to secure applications across heterogeneous virtualization platforms at customer sites and off-premises, an effort designed to play off Novell's strengths in network and identity management.


More IDG: Novell vows first identity management for cloud, virtualized apps (also here and here)

More IDG: Novell grabs for big role in virtualization security

Novell's Intelligent Workload Management initiative will be designed for the creation of application workloads, described by the company as portable, self-contained units of work built through the integration of the operating system, middleware and application, to run on server virtualization products from VMware, Microsoft and Citrix, among others. Under the plan, workloads will maintain security and compliance policies, along with real-time reporting and monitoring capabilities, wherever they go.


It is worth emphasising that Novell pays IDG a lot of money through advertising and IDC contracts.

Jupitermedia: Novell Delivers Workload Automation Strategy, Tools (more here)

Timothy Prickett Morgan: Novell to mashup management tools

This will start with its SUSE Appliance online software packaging tool, which went beta in February and into production in July. Then it will stir in a whole bunch of code from its ZENworks system management tools, the PlateSpin virtual server management tools and the ManagedObjects business service management tools. Finally, add in Identity Manager for access control and security, before mashing the whole thing up in a pot and selling it as an integrated toolset for managing infrastructure and the applications that ride on top of it.


Var Guy: Novell IWM: All Wood Behind One Arrow

IT Pro Portal: Novell Plans Big Cloud Computing, Virtualisation Push

InformationWeek: Novell Maps Workload Management For Cloud

CTO Edge: Novell Looks to Define Intelligent Workload Management

CRN India: Novell To Unveil Strategy For Cloud Computing, Virtualization

"It is our intention to lead this market," said John Dragoon, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Novell, in an interview. But he acknowledged that the shift would take some work by Novell given that most don't think of the company as a "cloud computing" vendor. "We're an infrastructure software company," he said.


CRN Australia: Hurdles to cloud adoption start to tumble

Novell was the latest to announce plans to join systems management software vendors such as BMC, CA and IBM in developing tools to manage intelligent workloads.


Computing: Novell moves to allay cloud and virtualisation fears

There is other such coverage, but some of the above goes a little beyond IWM. It is still hard to see how more proprietary software from Novell is going to eventually save it.

Samsung



Turbolinux is hardly visible but the Korean giant Samsung, which also signed a Novell-like deal with Microsoft, has just released Bada, which we emphasise is a form of Ballnux (taxed by Microsoft). Announcements include:

Samsung goes bada

Originally unveiled a few weeks ago, "bada" was officially launched by Samsung today, with some details provided about the hardware, interface, development environment and partners, although the first phones won't be available until the middle of next year.


Bada smartphone to debut H1 2010

But we can speculate how the phone will operate, thanks to Samsung’s brief outline of the Bada OS’ key features, at the heart of which is a supposedly “simple and efficient” UI.


Samsung Bada: Koreans set to adopt open source system

Samsung Officially Launches Bada Mobile Platform

Samsung's mobile OS SDK ships, runs on Linux

Samsung Unveils Open Source bada Mobile OS

Samsung execs talk up bada

10 things to know about Samsung's Bada platform

Samsung to launch new mobile phone OS

Bada is Here

Samsung Unveils Bada, Sort of

Bada is nothing to be excited about as it enables Microsoft to make money from Linux, due to Samsung's lack of integrity.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Using SLAPPs to Cover Up Sexual Abuse and Strangulation
The exact same legal team of the Serial Strangler from Microsoft and Garrett already has a history fighting against "metoo"
Adding the Voice of Writers to UK SLAPP Reform
The journey to repair antiquated (monarchy era) laws will likely be long
 
Plunder at the Second-Largest Institution in Europe
cuts, neglect, health problems, even early deaths
Links 12/07/2025: Political Developments, Attack on Opposition, Climate Actions
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/07/2025: Melodic Musings and Small Web July
Links for the day
Links 12/07/2025: Jail in China for Homoerotica, South Korea Discriminates Against Old Workers
Links for the day
If Only Everything Was Rewritten in Rust, We'd Have No More Security Issues?
Nope.
Links 12/07/2025: Birdwatching and Fake/Misleading Wall Street 'Valuation' Figures
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/07/2025: How to Avoid Writing, Apps for Android
Links for the day
EPO Staff Committee on Harassment in the Workplace
slides
EPO Takes More Money From Staff for Speculation (Pensions), Actuarial Study Explains the Impact
"The key change in this year’s Actuarial Study, due to cascading the new “risk appetite” from the financial study, is a significant increase of the total pension contribution rate of 5.7 percentage points, up to a total of 37.8%. This is driven by an unprecedented decrease in the discount rate of 105 bps down to 2.2%."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, July 11, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, July 11, 2025
Microsoft - Like IBM - Does the "Relocation" Tricks (Start Over Elsewhere, Then Get Sacked by Microsoft)
It is a "low blow" or a "dick move"
After the Free Software Foundation's Campaign to Raise Money Let's See Campaigns to Finish Off Microsoft (Vista 11, GitHub etc.)
Microsoft is in effect collapsing
Your Publications Have No Major Impact Unless or Until You "Get Some Heat"
we're on the right track
Slopwatch: A Cause for Hope, the Hype is Dying
For about a month we showed that becoming a slopfarm - for several weeks - resulted in utter failure and ruin for BetaNews
Links 11/07/2025: Censorship Worsening, 3D Printing Success Stories, UK and France Unite Around Nukes
Links for the day
Gemini Links 11/07/2025: Zorin OS and Scriptonite Updates
Links for the day
Links 11/07/2025: Hardware, Russia, and China
Links for the day
Links 11/07/2025: Intel Collapsing and Microsoft Resorts to Bribery to Push Slop Via Obligatory Education
Links for the day
The EFF Sided With the Team That Strangles Women and Tells Women to Kill Themselves
They say that apathy and inaction are a form of a "stance"
"Nat [Friedman] and [the Serial Strangler From Microsoft] Were Always Exceptionally Close," Says Former Housemate and Colleague
Now Alex (hiding behind another name when that suits him) not only attacks women but also people who merely report what he did to women
Exemplary List of Things That Are Not Artificial Intelligence or Even Intelligence
The "age of AI" or "era of AI" or "AI revolution" mostly boils down to rebranding, just like "the cloud"
New Letter From the European Patent Office Explains How the Office Plots to Grant Many Illegal Patents, a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of 'Growth'
Open letter to Mr Rowan (VP1) and Mr Aledo Lopez (COO)
Abuse of Process
5RB is employing people who help violent men
What Microsoft's Nat Friedman and Microsoft Lunduke Have in Common
"Get in da car; No time to explain, loser"
Microsoft and IBM Don't Have Much of a Future (They Mostly Pretend at This Point)
IBM and Microsoft are in some ways alike but in many ways different
It's Not Just Twitter (or X.com) That's Dying, Microsoft's Equivalent is Dying Also
Unable to find a business model
GitHub Copilot Can Cause the Bankruptcy of GitHub to Come Sooner and GitHub to be Shut Down Just Like Skype
Some publicly available information suggests that even for each paid subscriber for plagiarism (LLM 'coding') GitHub Copilot still loses more money than it makes
Wayland is Bad for the Planet
If you use Wayland, it'll take you longer to accomplish tasks and you will consume more energy (or battery life)
Legitimising Those Who Sabotage You
Microsoft is a very malicious company
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, July 10, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, July 10, 2025
On Microsoft Layoffs
we might be looking at about 60,000 Microsoft layoffs since 2023
EPO Management Already Breaks Its Own Promise (Lie) on "Bringing Teams Together"
This gut-punching move happened just 2 days ago
Gemini Links 11/07/2025: Occupation of 2025 and "Old Man Yells At Soundcloud"
Links for the day
Our Lawsuits Against the 'Cancel Mob' (Ringleaders) Helped Reduce Anti-Free Software Online Abuse
That's not to say that lawsuits are the best way to handle terrible people. But that can help.
Tomorrow is the Last Day of the Fund-Raising Campaign of the Free Software Foundation (FSF)
They will probably extend the date, as usual
Fixing Patents in Europe, Little by Little (by Transparency and Reporting of Suppressed Facts)
Tomorrow and throughout the weekend we shall focus some more on the EPO
The Two Lies Microsoft is Telling in "the News" This Week (to Distract From Layoffs and Decreased Interest in Slop/Chaff)
Microsoft is run by liars and frauds who SLAPP critics
Tux Machines Already Destroyed SLAPPs
Attacks on the mere publication of GNU/Linux news won't be tolerated
PCLinuxOS is Available for Download Again
PCLinuxOS is important to us also because its founder, back then the partner of Susan, helped create Tux Machines more than 21 years ago
Links 10/07/2025: Microsoft E-mail 'Services' Collapse Again, "Yet Another Strava Privacy Leak"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 10/07/2025: Automating Git Repo Updates and Small Web 'Zine'
Links for the day
GNU/Linux Leftovers
mostly Linux stuff
Audiocasts/Shows: Going Linux, FLOSS Weekly, and RHEL Clones
3 new picks
We Are Already Fighting - With Considerable Success - SLAPPs in the UK
we intend to tell the full story
Bullies With Pens and Papers (or Apple Macs With Templates)
Not all barristers are evil, but there are perhaps "rotten apples"
Slopwatch: webpronews.com, linuxsecurity.com, linuxjournal.com
a pile of trash disguised as 'articles'
Links 10/07/2025: Linda Yaccarino Divorces MElonazi Site, Wildfires Hit Syria
Links for the day
The History and the Policy of the EPO's Stance on Breastfeeding (Corporate Monopolies Versus Babies' Health)
"The Case for Introducing a Breastfeeding Policy at the EPO"
Gemini Links 10/07/2025: Inventing Chords and "Nightmare Boss"
Links for the day
Igor Ljubuncic Once Again Shows That for Technical Reasons Wayland Still Sucks, Performs Considerably Worse Than What Existed for Decades
That is aside from compatibility factors and other crucial factors
Links 10/07/2025: "Apple Vs The Law" and Twitter Became Full Nazi Bar
Links for the day
Unable to Find Anyone to Work as Their Media Lawyer, Brett Wilson LLP Will Continue Losing Female Staff
What sort of sick person would wish to join Brett Wilson LLP to carry this baton?
Microsoft-Sponsored Propaganda Site Has Removed False 'Hit Piece' About Dr. Stallman (With Fake and Misrepresented Imagery) But Only After 4 Years
So they only removed that page some time around 2025, i.e. about 4 years after it had been published
Always Check Your Inputs
Garbage in, garbage out. Or wrong assumptions, wrong corollary.
Dan Neidle Said That Tax Evasion Facilitator Mr Zahawi (Working to Silence Bloggers Through Brett Wilson LLP) Targeted Not Only Him (But The Others Kept Quiet)
"Mr Neidle said after repelling Mr Zahawi he was contacted by bloggers and tweeters who had received similar threats. They deleted their work “and in most cases never commented publicly on anything again”."
SLAPP Funding Transparency Urgently Needed in the UK and Elsewhere (in Practice, Not Just in Theory)
Writing about crime - including Microsoft crime - is not a crime
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, July 09, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, July 09, 2025
Elodie Bergot Still Doing Illegal Things at the EPO, Based on the Local Staff Committee Munich
They keep taking away from the staff while compelling the staff to do illegal things