LXer Weekly Roundup for 20-May-2007

LXer Feature: 20-May-2007 A weekly recap of the big stories concerning Linux and Open Source.

The big stories this week are Microsoft spreading the FUD of actually putting a number on the amount of patents that Linux supposedly infringes upon and Dell trying to get their Linux advertising right. The key word being "trying". So much for just one FUD article of the week..

Report: Microsoft says open source violates 235 patents: Microsoft top lawyer Brad Smith alleges in a magazine report that the Linux kernel and OpenOffice.org violate hundreds of the company's patents.

Metric equivalent of Microsoft fonts for Linux: Red Hat is going all out to make sure the Open Source remain truly open. And the latest offering from this company is a gift in the form of fonts which are the metric equivalent of most commonly used Microsoft fonts and released under an open license as this article indicates.

Scared Microsoft just spreading Linux patent FUD: Interesting take on the 235 patent infringements argument, suggesting that Microsoft is running scared of open source and spreading FUD in an attempt to bully people into paying some kind of Microsoft Tax.

Clever IT use slashes carbon dioxide output: Switching off your computer at the end of day saves about 75 percent of the electricity it uses which could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere by more than 500kg. This advice is obviously for people and businesses that do not have mission critical software running and I am not sold on his statistics either.

Giving Up on Microsoft: The author writes, "Although I'm still satisfied with my place in the Microsoft development universe, some developers desperately want off the Microsoft treadmill. Mike Gunderloy is a notable example."

Microsoft's reignites its war on Linux: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on May 14 claimed that "Linux violates over 228 patents. Someday, for all countries that are entering WTO [the World Trade Organization], somebody will come and look for money to pay for the patent rights for that intellectual property." With that comment, Microsoft declared war against Linux and open source yesterday... Oh wait. My mistake, Ballmer made that attack in November 2004.

Dell's Ubuntu Deal Still On: Our own Don Parris writes: A missing post on Direct2Dell site, especially viewed against the backdrop of their latest arrangements with Microsoft and Novell, prompts questions about the Dell's Ubuntu deal. The deal is definitely still "on".

LXer 'classics': 101 patents Microsoft may infringe: Our own Hans Kwint re-posts an older LXer story that was released in 2005 showing patent numbers where parts of Microsoft might infringe upon.

Microsoft patent claims hint at internal issues: A Microsoft move to seek patent royalties from open-source distributors and users may be an attempt to use legal threats to deflect attention from company problems. Microsoft Corp.'s aim to seek patent royalties from open-source distributors and users may be an attempt to use legal threats to deflect attention from larger questions surrounding its business, including lack of interest in new versions of core products and lackluster profit from new wares.

Linus Torvalds Responds To Microsoft Patent Claims: Linus Torvalds, lead developer of the Linux kernel, has a sharp retort to Microsoft executives' statements in a Fortune magazine article that Linux and other open-source code violate 235 Microsoft patents.

Open letter to Novell: Release the patent numbers!: LXer reader Sander Marechal writes: The technology industry has been in a buzz since last Monday's Fortune article in which Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith claims that the GNU/Linux operating system infringes 235 of Microsoft's patents. Microsoft refuses to tell the community what those patents are, but they told you, Novell.

The Microsoft FUD Campaign vs. the Customer: Almost everything that can be said has been said about the latest moves by Microsoft to create Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) about Linux. Countless pundits and analysts have pointed out that Microsoft threats are toothless. Some have noted that Microsoft has singled out Linux and OpenOffice, the biggest threats to its monopoly on operating systems and office suites. Surely Microsoft could claim that the *BSDs infringe on similar patents if not the same ones. But the *BSDs do not pose as great a threat to the company.

Tux500: Gregoire Appears to Be OK After Practice Crash: Stephan Gregoire, driver of the Linux-sponsored car in this year's Indianapolis 500, climbed from the car under his own power this afternoon, after hitting the wall in the short chute between turns 1 and 2. The rear end of the car appeared to get loose and swing around as he entered turn 1, and although he was nearly able to save it, the rear of the car made contact and slid down the wall.

Tux500: Stephan Gregoire Suffers Broken Vertebra in Crash: The author writes, "I just got off the phone with Ted Woerner of Acceleration Marketing, and I'm floored. Stephan suffered a broken vertebra in his crash this afternoon. This is a very sad day."

Can Dell Fix Their Google Ad Campaign?: Don Parris catches up with Dell on their ad campaign: LXer inquired about Google's advertising program to find out why Google ads show up with the words "Dell Linux Desktop", even though Dell hasn't yet launched its line of Ubuntu-based computers, and whether Google considers the practice misleading. Can Dell fix the misleading advertising problem?

Madtux and Vector Linux Announce NEW Linux PCs from $139.00 USD: MadTux, a leading Linux hardware vendor established since 2000 and Vector Linux, a popular open-source operating system, formed in 1999, are pleased to announce the release of the Lean, Mean, Green Vector Machine. Consumers everywhere will now have the choice of the fastest Linux distro on their desktops. The Lean, Mean, Green (LMG) Vector Machine is offered in a number of configurations, ranging from bleeding edge 3.3GHz 64-bit performance to the reliable but affordable $139 PC.

Google talks open source: Every time you use Google you're using Linux. So says Google programs manager Chris DiBona in a wide ranging interview that also touches, naturally, on the Microsoft patent threats and what it means for businesses like Google.

Linux-powered OLPC on "60 Minutes" May 20: In our Linux gets the attention of big media story, CBS TV's "60 Minutes" will feature the Linux-powered OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) device on Sunday, May 20 at 7 p.m. EDT/PDT. Project director Nicholas Negroponte will talk about his dream of putting a laptop computer into the hands of every child as an educational aid.