Free Republic

Microsoft's Australian MD Steve Vamos has revealed the latest line in its battle against Linux: Linux, it seems, is not open source. As the concept of open-source takes hold, not only with fanatical individuals but with governments across the world who like the idea of a freely accessible source code, Microsoft is attempting to drive a wedge between the idea of open source and the reality of Linux. Stressing that Linux is "not free", Vamos said open source is a development methodology that should not be confused with the commercial nature of Linux distributions. "Open source is not [solely] Linux,"...

"Developers who believe 'software should be free' cannot prevail against the U.S. Congress and voices of seven U.S. Supreme Court justices who believe that 'the motive of profit is the engine that ensures the progress of science,'" McBride said in an open letter recently. "Our system of copyright laws is built on the foundation of the U.S. Constitution." The SCO Group is amending its federal lawsuit against IBM (NYSE: IBM) , changing its legal tactics in the ongoing public drama over Linux software. But contrary to some reports in the press, the company didn't claim earlier in a letter that...

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - In a sign that demand is growing for alternatives to Microsoft Corp.'s Windows software, Red Hat Inc. will release a version of the Linux operating system and other programs tailored for desktop computers in corporations, universities and government agencies. Red Hat Desktop, announced Tuesday in London, will be targeted at organizations that are looking to upgrade their PCs but don't want or need all the features that ship with the latest version of Windows, said Matthew Szulik, Red Hat's chief executive."These organizations now, for the very first time, have an alternative to the historical Microsoft-desktop...

The open-source Linux operating system is just one of several choices for desktop computers, enterprise servers and other common implementations. Sometimes it is chosen, but often it is not. But at the high end of the computational power range -- in supercomputers built by national laboratories, NASA or the Defense Department from clusters of processors -- Linux is rapidly gaining ground on Unix as the operating system of choice.

Dear SBC Internet Services Member: This is an extremely important update to an e-mail SBC sent you 04/30/04 or 05/01/04. It is extremely important you read this message and take immediate action if you are using Windows NT, 2000, 2003 or XP. In addition to a computer worm referred to as Gaobot or Agobot, that is currently infecting computers across the Internet, there is now another computer worm, known as Sasser, that is spreading across the Internet, exploiting the same apparent security vulnerability in these Microsoft Windows operating systems. In response, we strongly urge you to immediately take the following...

A new internet worm, named "Sasser" began spreading across the net Friday night. It uses the MS LSASS vulnerability that was patched recently by Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-011.

Computers using Microsoft's Windows XP or 2000 operating systems are the target of a new Internet worm that spreads from machine to machine without user intervention. The worm, dubbed Sasser, takes advantage of a flaw in Windows that was patched by a fix issued in mid-April. However, because not all users take advantage of an auto-update feature included in Windows XP and 2000, there are still many systems connected to the Internet that are vulnerable. Sasser attacks a component of Windows called LSASS.EXE, and installs a file called AVSERVE.EXE, which then begins scanning the Internet and local networks for more...

SCO Group's (Nasdaq: SCOX) share price has been riding a sick-looking roller coaster since last week's announcement that one of the company's primary financiers, BayStar Capital, wants to pull up stakes and skip town. SCO Group has made headlines for the past year as the computer industry's bullyboy. The group owns rights to a version of Unix, and its growth strategy involves a wave of lawsuits on a variety of related complaints against deep-pocketed firms such as IBM (NYSE: IBM), DaimlerChrysler (NYSE: DCX), and AutoZone (NYSE: AZO). BayStar Capital came onto the scene last October. The hedge fund sank $20...

Clay Claiborne, founder and president of Linux Users Los Angeles (LULA), says he has resigned his position because of his opposition to the war in Iraq and the U.S. Armed Forces' use of Linux.

CHICAGO — Days after an embedded-industry CEO stirred up a firestorm by charging that Linux poses a threat to U.S. security, two prominent computing-security experts said last week that some developers are already inappropriately using Linux in critical security applications where it isn't suitable. Purdue University professor Eugene Spafford and Cynthia Irvine of the Naval Postgraduate School warned that the highest-level, but little-understood, security concerns are sometimes ignored during the development of control systems for tanks, bombs, missiles and defense aircraft. Linux, Windows and Solaris operating systems should not be used in such applications, Spafford said. "An awful lot of...

I hadn’t heard anything via the news today, but the DIS (Department of Information Services) the department responsible for upkeep of the state’s computer systems (Government, Schools, etc.) instructed all schools statewide that all computers, including workstations, servers, etc. MUST be shut down at the end of the school day today (Friday 4/16/2004). This is to apply to ALL computers tied in with the state network. The reason? An unmanageable number of viruses and an attack by hackers (probably allowed in via the email worms infecting the system). The network is suppose to be completely down through 8:00 AM Monday...

The SCO(R) Group, Inc. Receives Request From BayStar Capital II, L.P. to Redeem Shares of Series A-1 Convertible Preferred Stock Friday April 16, 1:45 pm ET LINDON, Utah, April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The SCO Group, Inc. ("SCO") (Nasdaq: SCOX - News), the owner of the UNIX operating system, received a letter on April 15, 2004 from BayStar Capital II, L.P. requesting that SCO immediately redeem BayStar's 20,000 shares of SCO's Series A-1 Convertible Preferred Stock. The letter asserts that BayStar is entitled to the redemption of its shares under Article VII.A(vii) of the Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights of...

BEIJING -- For years, China has been trying to end Microsoft Corp.'s monopoly on its computers. It has tried to develop its own operating system. It has appealed to the patriotism of consumers. Now, it is turning to the law. Officials say a new law will be announced by this summer requiring a minimum percentage of software purchased by the government be produced in China. That's crucial in a country where the government accounts for 25 percent of the $30 billion software market. No one is saying what that minimum will be -- some say it may be as high...

Software warfare TECHNOLOGY REPORTER When Corel Corp. of Ottawa shipped its first and only Linux operating system back in 1999, it was in the unusual position of having an award-winning PC product that attracted more praise than purchase orders.Observers liked the idea of challenging Microsoft Corp. and the overwhelming dominance of its Windows desktop system, but many dismissed Corel's move as well-intentioned lunacy. The dominance of Windows left Linux challengers reluctant to enter the ring, let alone take a jab at the Redmond titan.No surprise, Corel threw in the towel in 2001 and sold off its Linux operations.Three years later,...

NEW YORK — A storm has erupted in the embedded community, with real-time operating systems house Green Hills charging that Linux is fundamentally insecure and wide open to security breaches by "foreign intelligence agencies and terrorists." The explosive charges were made in a speech delivered Thursday (April 8) at the Net-Centric Operations Industry Forum in McLean, Va., by Green Hills chief executive officer Dan O'Dowd. "Now that foreign intelligence agencies and terrorists know that Linux is going to control our most advanced defense systems, they can use fake identities to contribute subversive software," said O'Dowd, in a copy of the...

SCO's Motion to Dismiss has been denied in Delaware. The judge has also stayed any further activity in the Red Hat case until after the IBM case in Utah is resolved, unless things get bogged down there. Both sides have to file a letter every 90 days letting her know how things are progressing in the IBM matter. The judge will lift the stay if things don't hop along in a reasonable fashion in Utah. Considering how long it took for this overworked judge to rule on this motion, I don't see the order as a delay at all. The...

For followers of the SCO/Linux litigation: I had the surprise opportunity to attend a lecture last night given by -- guess who -- SCO's lead attorney David Boies, presented at the R.E. Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee U. -- Boise was standing before the tomb of General R.E. Lee as he spoke, which struck a bit of an odd note to my ear. Boies described, in a general presentation to practitioners, his recipe for a successful litigation style as "don't focus on the particulars of your case, because a jury can't understand the details, focus on the big picture,...

IBM not only seeks to have Linux-related copyright infringement charges by Utah's SCO Group dismissed, it wants a federal judge to make sure the allegations are never allowed in court again. In the latest maneuver filed in SCO's year-old quest for a minimum of $5 billion and maximum of $50 billion in damages from Big Blue, the world's largest computer company asked U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball and Magistrate Judge Brooke Wells to reject the copyright claims "with prejudice," meaning SCO would be prohibited from refiling the same allegations. SCO sued IBM in March 2002, claiming its proprietary Unix code...

Moving to Linux may not save money--yet Last modified: April 5, 2004, 9:45 AM PDT By Matt Hines Staff Writer, CNET News.com Migrating to open-source software may cost some companies more than simply upgrading their Unix or Windows systems, according to a study research company The Yankee Group released Monday. Based on a survey of 1,000 information technology administrators and corporate executives at companies around the globe, Yankee's report concluded that the technical merits promised by Linux and applications built to run on the operating system have yet to overcome financial concerns related to adopting the software. At companies with...

Linux Loyalists LeeryDaniel Lyons, 03.31.04, 1:49 PM ETNEW YORK - Two years ago, when Rick Carey was chief technology architect at Merrill Lynch, he was crazy about Linux and especially about Red Hat, the leading Linux distributor. At the time, he was leading the charge to migrate all of the computer systems at Merrill to Linux. But these days, things have changed. Carey, who is now chief technology architect at Bank One (nyse: ONE - news - people ), says that although he still likes Linux, he's not rushing into any deployments of the open-source operating system. Chicago-based Bank One...