LinuxQuestions.org Adds Linux and Open Source Job Marketplace

July 9, 2006 Leave a comment

In a move that's a bit new to LQ, we've just released the LQ Jobs Marketplace. Basically, it allows employers to post Linux, Open Source and programming related opportunities to LQ for a small one time fee. Over the years we've gotten an increasing amount of requests from companies to tap into the huge talent pool that exists at LQ. With over 250,000 registered members around the globe and countless new visitors every day, LQ could obviously be a huge potential resource for people looking to fill related job positions. Additionally, it's in the best interest of LQ to have as many people as possible gainfully employed in the OSS field. So it's a win-win. What's more, perspective employers can use a persons LQ history to get a general feel for knowledge. A posting history that spans a year or two will likely provide more information that any resume or interview. Happy job hunting!
–jeremy
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Filed under Linux, Main Page, Open Source

Open XML Translator project announced

July 6, 2006 Leave a comment

Brian Jones recently announced that Microsoft will be releasing an ODF converter for office. The Open XML Translator project is hosted at SourceForge and is available under the BSD license. From the post:
While we still aren't seeing a strong demand for ODF support from our corporate or consumer customers, it's now a bit different with governments. We've had some governments request that we help build solutions so that can use ODF for certain situations, so that's why we are creating the Open XML Translator project. I think it's going to be really beneficial to a number of folks and for a number of reasons.
There has been a push in Microsoft for better interoperability and this is another great step in that direction. We already have the PDF and XPS support for Office 2007 users that unfortunately had to be separated out of the product and instead offered as a free download. There will be a menu item in the Office applications that will point people to the downloads for XPS, PDF, and now ODF. So you'll have the ability to save to and open ODF files directly within Office (just like any other format).
This should be seen as a fairly large step for Microsoft, who had strongly opposed ODF in the recent past. We may have finally reached a time when Microsoft is no longer able to force its customers into a direction they don't want to go. What's more, they may even be realizingly that interoperability is the way they'll be able to have a bright future. It will be a slow change to be sure, but if this is the seed finally planted it will be looked back on as a water shed moment.
On a different topic, while this should be seen as good news for the consumer it could actually end up being bad news for OOo. Had Microsoft stood their ground and not supported ODF, OOo would have certainly seen rapid mass adoption in some segments. With Microsoft promising to support ODF, that's a lot less likely to happen. But that begets the question – is this just a promise? Has Microsoft really started a turn-around, or is this just an opportunity for them to claim to support ODF, make the implementation so bad and so much of a pain that ODF looks like garbage (as people are unlikely to realize it's the implementation and not ODF itself that is at fault) and then make a large push for a new and improved OXML with the next Office release. I have to say that they seem genuine on this one, but they do of course have quite a track record with these things. Our only option at this point is to wait and see, while proceeding with caution.
The other potential problem is that companies and government agencies have a purchasing edict that all documents must be saved in ODF format, but no real operational procedure that mandates actually using ODF as the final format. ODF is of no use if people simply continue saving documents in the OXML native Microsoft format. Could ODF become another POSIX type situation where support for it is something that companies list as a feature that their product has checked off, while in the real world it's not actually used. The fact that “save” will get you OXML, while ODF will require that you “export” could lead in this direction. Let's hope that doesn't happen (and as this case is a little different than the POSIX one, I'm optimistic that it won't happen the same way).
–jeremy
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Filed under Linux, Main Page, Microsoft, Open Source

LQ ISO Hits 2,000,000 Downloads

July 3, 2006 Leave a comment

Launched about 20 months ago now, LQ ISO has now facilitated over 2,000,000 Linux ISO downloads. The site currently has 342 distributions versions available for download from 602 mirrors. The site also boosts improved statistics on the homepage, RSS feeds and email notifications for newly released versions and even suggests the fastest local mirror based on where you are browsing from geographically. If you're looking to download a Linux distribution, be sure to check out LQ ISO (and also be sure to suggest it to those looking for a place to quickly and easily download Linux).
–jeremy
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Filed under Linux, Main Page, Open Source

LinuxQuestions.org Turns Six

June 29, 2006 1 Comment

As a just announced in the forums, LQ recently turned six. The site continues to grow at an astounding rate. It's not just the 2,311,325 posts and 254,019 registered members either. LQ ISO is just about to hit 2,000,000 downloads and we have almost 3,000 articles in the LQ Wiki. That not what's remarkable to me though. What is remarkable, is that despite our long term rapid growth, we've managed to stay both true to our roots and extremely friendly to the Linux Newbie. True, your post may scroll off the main forum page quicker that it used to, but the site still has much of the feel it did five years ago. That is something I'm truly proud of.
–jeremy
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Filed under Linux, Main Page, Open Source

EU poised to rule against Microsoft

June 28, 2006 Leave a comment

After being successfully prosecuted by the DOJ, but escaping any serious punishment by a new incoming administration, it looks like the EU may actually follow through with some bite to its bark. With the $2M Euro per day fine (about $2.5M USD) potentially being back dated to December 2005, the amount could be substantial. One item I've seen incorrectly reported in multiple venues is that the EU is forcing Microsoft to open the code for Windows. This is categorically not the case. They are asking for open and usable documentation on API's and interfaces that are not license encumbered along with the unbundleing of media player. In fact, Microsoft offered the code under an NDA and that was turned down as an unacceptable resolution. After the DOJ case, it appeared that once a company reached a certain size, even the US Government couldn't do much to monitor and govern its actions. It's good to see the EU at least taking a stand. One comical sentiment I continue to see in comments are things like “Microsoft should just pull out of the EU”. That is so astoundingly short sighted and ethnocentric that I find it hard to even rebuke. It should be obvious that pulling out of a market that is so huge would immediately spawn the adoption of alternative operating systems and applications that it's asinine to even consider as an option. The day they pulled out would be the day every hardware manufacturer announced preload support for Linux and the day nearly every software maker would announce their port. There's no way Microsoft is prepared to let that happen.
Another article has the following:
Commenting on the report, the Americans for Technology Leadership, a consumer group of 40,000 members, said that “All American companies doing business in Europe should be concerned. This development makes clear that successful American companies will face a higher regulatory standard in Europe and that their entire global business strategy may be hostage to the whims of a few European regulators.”
The “hostage to the whims of a few European regulators” is a bit dramatic, but if you are an American company who chooses to compete in the EU, why would you not expect to have to comply with the regulatory standard in the EU. You think the EU is bad, wait until you see what it takes to get into China.
–jeremy
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Filed under Main Page, Microsoft, Open Source

Novell Names Ron Hovsepian To Succeed Jack Messman as CEO

June 22, 2006 Leave a comment

Continuing the recent rash of high level departures, Jack Messman has been ousted by the Novell board. Taking his place is long time IBM'er Ron Hovsepian. The market reacted well to the news, with NOVL up over 10% on the press release (although still down sharply for the year). I think it's clear that Messman just wasn't the right guy to turn Novell around. He didn't seem to understand their Linux/OSS strategy very well and the company was subject to a fair amount of internal strife (with multiple high profile departures, including the Suse founder) and a lack of overall vision and direction. The prospects seem to be better for Hovsepian from what I've read, which should be encouraging for Novell. He had the following to say:
“Going forward, we will maintain a sharp focus on meeting customer demand and delivering value through Linux-based, enterprise-wide solutions and identity and resource management products. We have innovative technology, a strong roster of customers and business partners and an extremely talented group of employees. I look forward to continuing to work closely with our business partners and customers.”
They have some nice products, but have failed to gain real traction compared to Red Hat. They seem to want to focus more on the Linux desktop, while Red Hat has all but abandoned that in favor of the enterprise server market. Which will work out better in the long term is unclear at this point. The Linux market, however, is eager to have two solid performers to avoid the pitfalls that became clear with the Microsoft monopoly. How much time remains for Novell before someone else steps up as the clear number two remains to be seen.
–jeremy
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Filed under Linux, Main Page, Open Source

The Microsoft Exec Exodus

June 21, 2006 1 Comment

On a topic I've covered multiple times recently, more execs are stepping down from Microsoft. Both Martin Taylor and Ted Hase are already gone, in fact. From the respective articles:
Microsoft did not give details on why Martin Taylor left the world's biggest software maker after the 13-year company veteran was appointed in March to lead marketing efforts for Windows Live.
“After 16 exciting, interesting years in one place challenging conventional thinking, introducing fresh approaches, creating new businesses opportunities, and managing, leading and being influenced by some of the brightest minds in the industry I've decided that it's time for a change,” Hase said.
As you can see, both have been with the company well over a decade. Both of them seem to have come to recent hasty decisions or were pushed out. Cringely has some interesting ideas on what we'll see in the coming months. I agree with a lot of what he says, and I came to the same conclusion – Ballmer has to go. He takes that assessment further though and says “several dozen of his (Gates) closest and oldest associates” must also leave for this to be done correctly. The “Microsoft Way” must fundamentally shift in a major way, which in essence means a regime change at this point. Shift away from what you ask? I think this recent comment from Bill is telling:
When they invented radial tires, they should have shot the guy,” he said. “The whole industry went through a crisis, because it took nine years to squeeze out the extra factory capacity, because the tires lasted longer.”
That's what Microsoft has thought of innovation recently. Anything that cuts into sales, even if it saves lives is bad. I hope you're no longer wondering why Microsoft doesn't innovate. Whether they can pull a fundamental paradigm change off in a company the size of Microsoft remains to be seen, but a lot of longtime Microsofties will have to go in the process for them to have any change at all. This one could get ugly.
–jeremy
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Filed under Linux, Main Page, Microsoft, Open Source

Why Oracle Isn't a Member of the OSDL

June 21, 2006 Leave a comment

In an interview with InternetNews Wim Coekaerts, who is the Director of Linux Engineering at Oracle, goes into some details on how Oracle is utilizing Linux. It's fantastic to see that “almost half of Oracle Application Server 10g Release 3 shipments were on Linux in the first three months of 2006”. I knew that Oracle penetration on Linux was really gaining traction, but almost half is extremely impressive. When the topic of the OSDL came up, Wim has this to say:
Let's just say that one part of the OSDL is trying to represent businesses to the Linux community. I know that a number of the members aren't heavily involved in Linux but still are members.
We basically know where to go. We have a good relationship directly with people in the Linux community. We have all our partners. So there is no immediate advantage to being a member for us. Not to sound arrogant, but we know how to deal with the Linux community.
The thing that was really kind of revolting is that OSDL goes out and basically says that they represent the Linux community while there is no direct feedback line back to the community.
Now, it's true that a number of the members aren't heavily directly involved in Linux but still are members. Beyond that though you have to remember that for Oracle, Open Source is not core. One of the main points of OSDL is to share R&D costs and Oracle certainly doesn't want to do that. I'd have thought “Why isn't MySQL AB not in OSDL” would come up before Oracle. His last comment, however, is the one I felt was poignant here. The OSDL really seems to be taking a beating on this point lately. I've not seen a ton actually change though. Greg KH seems hopeful now that some of the things that were proposed will be adopted, which is encouraging. I had offered (both personally and on behalf of LQ) to help the OSDL with their community efforts not too long ago. While some people from within OSDL did contact me and some useful discussion took place, nothing ever came of it. The offer, of course, still stands…but I still don't have a clear picture of exactly what we could do.
–jeremy
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Filed under Linux, Main Page, Open Source

Mundie Speaks on OSS

June 19, 2006 Leave a comment

Craig Mundie, who was recently made chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft, was interviewed by eWeek and commented on the GPL. His response to the question about interoperability with Open Source (and specifically the GPL):
I have been one of the principle people architecting the way we are going to step up to this bigger question around interoperability, and that will certainly be a focus of mine going forward, along with Bob Muglia.
Let's not forget though, Mundie in the not too distant past was the Microsoft “anti-open-source poster child“. In fact, the Perens open letter that was signed by everyone from Stallman to O'Reilly, was addressed to Mundie. Has he done a mental 360 or is this just lip service? As I've mentioned in the past, words mean very little at this point and we need to see some action, and some significant action at that. Complying with the EU anti-trust case would be a start, but you don't get many points for simply following the stipulations of a lawsuit. With the history that Microsoft has, the olive branch they need to extend has to be almost tree-sized at this point. Let's stop the words and get to the actions, we're all waiting to see what happens.
–jeremy
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Filed under Linux, Main Page, Microsoft, Open Source

Bill Gates to Step Down from Microsoft

June 16, 2006 1 Comment

And I thought Scoble leaving was big news. That was until Microsoft announced plans for a July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates. From the press release:
The company announced that Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie will immediately assume the title of chief software architect and begin working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities, to ensure a smooth transition. Similarly, Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie will immediately take the new title of chief research and strategy officer and will work closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company’s research and incubation efforts; Mundie also will partner with general counsel Brad Smith to guide Microsoft’s intellectual property and technology policy efforts.
This will certainly begin to usher in a new era for Microsoft. One they sorely need at this point. Ozzie has a different outlook on things than others in the past have and I think with his promotion we'll see an even bigger focus on services. Bill really stepped down at an opportune time. The stock is sagging, the Vista debacle is raging, competition is heating up. You have to give him credit for putting in the time that he does for as long as he has. He seems to be taking the path of the barons of yesteryear who in increasing years turned into benefactors of humanity in order to ensure their legacy. This brings up one thing that I don't often see talked about though. The Gates foundation really does do more good things than they get credit for. You may not agree with how Bill got his money, but what the Gates foundation does is extremely commendable and should be applauded. I think I speak on behalf of everyone in wishing Mr. Gates the best in his future endeavors.
–jeremy
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Filed under Main Page, Microsoft, Open Source

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