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Hewlett-Packard and other participants have withdrawn from a February conference on the use of Linux on desktop computers, casting a shadow on the show's debut.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An HP representative confirmed Friday that the company had withdrawn from the conference.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 A Sun representative couldn't immediately confirm that it had withdrawn.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.

[CyberCowboy777]

SMP is great stuff

I can't wait to build a AMD SMP system ($$$)

Though you are limited on the MS O/S options if you want to go SMP. Linux would peak my interest if I could run SMP and my games.

Overheating is a real issue these days. I run an overclocked XP 1700+ (to a 1900+) and have been able to keep it cool enough though. Quality CPU Heatsink and Fan, Silver Oxide, 5 fans and Aluminum case.

You are exactly right on quality parts, you should see how many Power Supplies I have replaced this last year. (Not put in by me originally)

[Salo]

Isn't it amazing how Mac and Linux users are the only ones who can't seem to keep Windows running?

Speak for yourself - I use a mac and windows at home, and I use netware, windows, unix and linux at work. If you maintain them - all of them - they don't crash often. That being said, the Windows boxes seem to require a lot more patching than the rest and even then are not *as* stable.

[Spangler]

My personal beef with MS is I can't get a Windows 98SE disc from them. I have old machines that work best on it that came from Goodwill's used computer department. They loaded the cabs on them, but get a volumn conflict and the cab won't open.

I hate buying used software on CD, but my point is if Windoz is so profit driven they won't help tinkerers dabbling in older machines keep them running on their Windoz platform, how can you trust them when this same disfunctional attitude rears it's ugly head when the current machines equipted with XP are suffering from the human entropy of disk loss and machine resale or transfer?

I like XO fine, but my new machine I burned together has RedHat. Though if I get a 98SE copy I'll partition the drive and use it with the Linux. I had been planning to get 2K for it, but I am flat just too pissed off at Microsoft's short attention span that precludes them to support old products that is undoubtably due to an obsession with the bottomline.

BTW, my old original computer, a Commodore still works and I practice my Morse Code speed with it.

[chilepepper]

I went with an Antec Power Supply right off the bat with my BP6, and it has paid off in spades.

This is really one of the MOST important, and most overlooked components. We had a freakish, massive lightning strike several years ago that got into the power grid and it wiped out most of our Gateways and cheaper boxes (including the cheap SUN 4s and 5s). The boxes with Antec supplies survived.

PS is particularly important for SMP and doubly so for AMD as well! Am getting kind of bored with a mere pair of 550MHz and will probably go the the dual AMD boards soon... I probably won't wait for the Sledgehammer. Will probably take too long for the economies of scale to kick in and make it worthwhile...

[TomServo]

I love MSI myself...

Never heard of 'em. Time to do a little search. ;-)

[TomServo]

I went with an Antec Power Supply right off the bat..

Great product. I only use Antecs.

[PatrioticAmerican]

"NT has a different kernel then other MS-Windoz offerings, but DOS is still there sitting under it. You can still pull up a DOS prompt scren in NT"

You obviously don't work as a professional computer geek, do you?

That command prompt is not a DOS prompt, it is a system prompt. You can actually turn off the GUI in NT such that the command prompt is all you get, and, no, it is not a DOS prompt.

Jeez, will these ignorant schmucks ever stop spreading such rumors???

[PatrioticAmerican]

SMP is only for NT OSes. XP makes a great game platform and is far better than any of the Win9x variants.

[PatrioticAmerican]

#56 - All that will happen is nothing. Simply close the console window. No harm, nothing lost.

So, what was your point?

Are you saying that that simple app will crash Linux, so you thought it would also crash XP?