HP-Lindows tussle clouds desktop Linux show

ZDNet News ^ | January 21, 2003 | Stephen Shankland

[Illbay]

HP-Lindows tussle clouds desktop Linux show

By Stephen Shankland Special to ZDNet News January 21, 2003, 4:56 AM PT

Hewlett-Packard and other participants have withdrawn from a February conference on the use of Linux on desktop computers, casting a shadow on the show's debut.

At the root of the spat are objections to the main sponsor's prominence in the Desktop Linux Summit. News site DesktopLinux.com had been a sponsor, and open-source advocate Bruce Perens was scheduled to deliver the show's opening keynote speech. But both pulled out after the conference's sponsor and organizer Lindows decided its chief executive, Michael Robertson, would give the first talk.

"DesktopLinux.com is withdrawing our support for the Desktop Linux Summit," said publisher Rick Lehrbaum in a posting Thursday, objecting to Lindows' decision to change the event agenda without consulting the show advisory board. "Lindows.com is certainly within their rights to host a conference on any subject whatsoever, but DesktopLinux.com is committed to the principle of vendor neutrality in its editorial content and initiatives, and our continued support for the conference as its major media sponsor would constitute a violation of the trust that the community places in our objectivity."

An HP representative confirmed Friday that the company had withdrawn from the conference. Sun Microsystems, another big-name exhibitor, appeared on an earlier exhibitor list, but its name isn't on the current lineup. A Sun representative couldn't immediately confirm that it had withdrawn.

Robertson was unrepentant, saying he wasn't obliged to follow the advisory board's recommendations.

"Lindows.com is paying to put on this conference, and like any conference planner, we ultimately have the obligation to make the choices to insure the success of the conference," he said in an e-mail interview. "The Desktop Linux Summit is heavily consumer-focused, which not everyone agrees with, but it is what will make this conference very unique. It's not about the politics or the philosophy, but about affordable Linux products available to consumers today."

"Every company in attendance wants to talk about their products or services to advance their agenda, so I'm not sure Lindows.com is different in that regard than any company or organization in attendance," Robertson added.

Intel, EarthLink and Epson have joined as participants, Robertson said.

Intel was approached Thursday to participate in the conference and plans to send a representative from its wireless networking group, said spokesman Scott McLaughlin. The company is not a sponsor, he added.

The news comes on the eve of another show, the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in New York. At that event, larger Linux companies such as SuSE are expected to announce their own versions of Linux for desktop PCs.

Lindows sells a version of Linux designed for average computer users. Robertson, the founder of MP3.com, also has funded a $200,000 prize for any programmer who gets Linux working on Microsoft's Xbox game console.

Perens, whose influence reaches widely into the computing industry, said he's told Robertson he's no longer attending. Lindows' founding and funding status gives it a say in how the show runs, but "they just haven't figured out how to share the toys and play with others. It's a power grab," Perens said in an interview.

Lindows spokeswoman Cheryl Schwartzman said the company wanted to concentrate on desktop Linux for customers who'll use it, not for programmers who'll develop it. "If you want to talk about the Linux kernel, this is not the conference for you," she said.

Lindows spent about $100,000 organizing and catering the conference, she added. The company expects a sold-out show with 600 attendees.

The show is scheduled for Feb. 20 and 21 in San Diego, where Lindows is headquartered. On Friday, the list of exhibitors included desktop Linux software companies such as Xandros, Ximian, theKompany, SuSE, StepUp Computing and Lycoris.

[PatrioticAmerican]

You try to make a real-world example from a MOVIE??? HAHAHAHAHA! Jeez, NOTHING says LOSER NERD more than that! This is the real-world, not some fictional, "Gee, daddy, what if men in red caps really could fly?"

[Illbay]

You are a very silly person. I've noticed this on more than one occasion.

If you don't think literature, film, art, etc., has anything to say about "real life," then I don't want to catch you using terms like "big brother," "1984," etc.

Beware, I'm watching you.

[PatrioticAmerican]

"crash constantly. It's "

Drivers, buddy. You don't know a thing about XP if you can't keep it running. It is EASY, except for you. I've read your posts for months, if not years, about your problems. All your problems seem to be your lack of competence in working with computers.

Every time I hear of something not working it is not XP, but a hardware issue or a driver issue, a driver supplied by a vendor other than Microsoft. Did you install the wrong type of memory? That is the most common item. Maybe you overclocked, not knowing what you were doing, or you dicked with the BIOS.

The fact is XP works extremely well, except for a few nerds who like to tinker with their computers.

[Bush2000]

If you don't think literature, film, art, etc., has anything to say about "real life," then I don't want to catch you using terms like "big brother," "1984," etc.

Rrrrrrrright. We see the same beaming idolatry in the faces of celebrities at the Oscars every year. And it doesn't amount to more than a pile of melted plastic.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Giggle a little, sweethart, but artsy-fartsy people are usually dreamers, not doers, and certainly not competent to make conclusions about computer operating systems.

[Bush2000]

Drivers, buddy. You don't know a thing about XP if you can't keep it running. It is EASY, except for you. I've read your posts for months, if not years, about your problems. All your problems seem to be your lack of competence in working with computers.

Isn't it amazing how Mac and Linux users are the only ones who can't seem to keep Windows running? And then they turn around and expect everyone to take their advice about switching to Linux or OSX! As if their incompetence weren't enough of a turnoff.

[PatrioticAmerican]

"Beware, I'm watching you."

No peeking, pervert.

[ShadowAce]

Oh yeah. I forgot that a $500 license makes a serious dent in a nations miltary budget.

[Bush2000]

Oh yeah. I forgot that a $500 license makes a serious dent in a nations miltary budget.

Au contraire. First, the government doesn't spend $500. They get an enterprise license. Second, the dollars feed back into the economy, where reinvestment and spending results in higher tax revenues for the federal government. Nice try.

[CyberCowboy777]

I do not have a dog in this fight.....

but ECS makes POS motherboards.

I have built 6 PCs with ECS boards and hundreds with "others" like Gigabyte, MSI and ASSUS. With all 6 ECS boards I have had "issues". With the "others" W2K is like a rock and I run a MSI at home that has crashed once running W98.

I have three ECS boards on the workbench right now that I cannot not even get returned to ECS. (piss poor tech support and RMA)

[CyberCowboy777]

Read the NSA's Security Recommendation Guides and related reports before you make statments like that.

[TomServo]

Been using Abit motherboards here. Not so much as a burp from my machine running W2K pro or my server running W2K Advanced server.

[Bush2000]

NSA Security Recommendation Guides

[CyberCowboy777]

Abit is a good Manuf.

I love MSI myself...

Quality parts are the key to tech happiness

[Bush2000]

Maybe that's the problem. Many Linux folks seem to err on the side of cheapness...

[CyberCowboy777]

Any system connected to the net is vulnerable.

The key to security is:

Following accepted guide lines (check and recheck that you did not leave a stupid port open or unfiltered)

Keeping up on your patches (even Unix has had holes)

Testing - PAY for a Security Audit

If you can't do those - Disconnect.

[TechJunkYard]

All software connected to any network is a threat to our security...

Certainly a threat to its user's security... but the amount of infrastructure dependent on Microsoft products (there's that single-source risk again) is a particularly dangerous threat.

[Illbay]

So, you're ceding all of modern art, in effect, to the left?

Not sure if we need someone like you on our team.

[Illbay]

"I have X machines running on ECS motherboards! Your experience just PROVES that you don't know anything about putting together computers!"

And FWIW, I'm not using them for Point Of Sale (POS). You must be mistaken.

[CyberCowboy777]

Not sure if we need someone like you on our team.

I am not that your requirements for team entrance are really all that justified.

Must all members agree with you on O/S, Software and Art?

I hate most modern art, that does not make me stupid, ignorant or a fool. It make me an individual that thinks for himself.

I would like to accept more individuals into our team.