Showing headlines posted by HoTMetaL

Before you judge me by the article title, please read carefully. I have a very important message, and it has everything to do with the commercial and public image success of Nokia, and Linux. We will begin with the former. To wit, here’s a brief introduction.

Unknown attackers penetrated the server hosting the open source ProFTPD FTP server project and concealed a back door in the source code. The back door provides the attackers with complete access to systems on which the modified version of the server has been installed.

Microsoft has announced a lawsuit against Motorola, alleging that several of the mobile company's Android devices infringe on nine of its patents. The software giant is suing in US District Court in Washington, and is also bringing a complaint before the International Trade Commission (ITC).

Google is abandoning the use of Windows by its staff as it's too much of a security threat, multiple staffers said Monday night. Recent concerns about Chinese hacks have the search firm requiring either a Mac or Linux for all new recruits to provide better security. Those who want Windows now often require explicit approval from executives and may not have any choice on desktops where it's only an option for notebooks.

Mark Guzdial, respected professor and Vice Chair of the ACM Education Board, has expressed some concerns about the impact that open source is having on computing education. Are these concerns legitimate?

He starts from an awfully dramatic position: "At a time when we are trying to broaden participation in computing, open source development is even more closed and less diverse than commercial software development."

After becoming increasingly frustrated with Windows Vista, I began searching for an alternative operating system. An “upgrade” to Windows XP seemed like the only other option, but Skatter Tech’s senior editor, Sahas Katta, suggested I try Ubuntu 9.10: Karmic Koala. Naturally, after years and years of using Windows based systems, I hesitated to install Ubuntu. First off, I did not like using Linux. I never got into the habit of learning all the different commands and functions of a Linux OS and did not want to start now...

Seriously, the "Days of our Lives" writers couldn't come up with this stuff if they tried. Just when everything was starting to seem all warm and fuzzy between Microsoft and the open-source community, this week brought so many twists and turns that it was difficult to keep up.

In a time when Microsoft is feeling the full impact of the global economic downturn, the open-source Linux operating system is flourishing. While Windows client revenue has let the Redmond company suffering in the 2009 fiscal year, producing three quarters inferior when compared to FY2008, Linux revenue continues to grow and is right on track of making the open-source OS a $1 billion a year business. Market analysis firm IDC estimates that between 2008 and 2013 Linux revenue will deliver a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of no less than 16.9%.