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It's easy to lose track of what's going on with Linux. That's due in part to the almost total lack of marketing hype. The kernel crew, led by Linus Torvalds, just keeps working away quietly in the background. Red Hat and Novell keep racking up strong revenue gains but don't spend much on advertising. And the big tech players, such as IBM, HP, and Dell, would actually prefer it if customers bought their proprietary and higher-margin products.

[Ed: Those penguinistas will sneak up on you if you're not careful! - dcparris]

Linux kernel 2.6.14 is out, the fourth major kernel version of 2005, and chock full of improvements, including driver updates, new virtual filesystems and wireless connectivity improvements.

Various studies on the total cost of ownership (TCO) of Windows versus Linux have arrived at vastly different conclusions. How is this possible? The short answer is that if you are abstract enough with your goals and methodology, are selective with the costs that you include, and ask the right questions, then you can arrive at any conclusion you want.

[Ed. Maria asks some astute questions here. As Microsoft ramps up its "Get the Facts" campaign this week, more articles like this will hopefully get on the wires. -tadelste]

Related Story:
Linux News Questions Microsoft's Need for a "Get the Facts" campaign?

Nokia announced that it has started deliveries of the first device in its new Internet Tablet product category, the Nokia 770. The sleek, pocket sized device is Nokia's first Linux -based terminal product and is dedicated to convenient Internet browsing and email communications over Wi-Fi.

'We recognise that more and more people are using Firefox, so it's something we want to support,' says one high-street bank

Two large financial companies in the UK have pledged to try to make their Web sites compatible with Mozilla's Firefox, a week after it celebrated its first birthda

In a recent blog, we outlined a brief history of Google's refusal to port their most popular desktop software to Linux. Since then, the staff of Lobby4linux has made several attempts to contact Google. Snail mail, email, telephonically...to no avail. Maybe they will respond to this.

As a result of articles referring to the threat of Worms and Viruses attacking Linux systems, many new Linux users are in a panic. They are running around wildly, weaping to their mothers for help... or maybe not? I find very few new users who are either panic stricken regarding worms & viruses or for that matter even concerned. The few beginners who've asked me about the need and options tend to be curious rather than consumed by FUD related materials.

To help them out and calm any panic stricken nerves, I've completed a brief, encouraging and straightup list for protecting your Linux home system. Obviously, if you're using a Linux server in a business environment you'll need to go beyond some of these tips.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be comfortable using commands on a Linux system. The tutorial is organized according to the specific objectives of the LPI exam for this topic. If you're studying for certification -- or simply building a solid foundation in Linux systems administration -- you will be ready to proceed to the next tutorial in this series.

[Ed: - Security Innovation is so 'independent', it is a professional services provider for Microsoft. Though the Press release says the study can be found at MS' Get the Facts page, I couldn't find it. -hkwint]
[Ed. - UPDATE: The study is here. - hkwint ]

Today at the IT Forum 2005 event in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft announced findings from a report it commissioned from Security Innovation, a leading independent provider of application security services, which concluded that as requirements evolved over time, the Microsoft Windows platform was more consistent, predictable and easier to manage than Linux.

Related Story:
Linux News Questions Microsoft's Need for a "Get the Facts" campaign?

Technology vendors and open source community align to set standards for Snort rules, ensuring consistent protection throughout the industry...

Even as Microsoft readies a host of new ad-supported online services to battle rivals, the software maker has been mulling a plan to offer free, ad-supported versions of some of its desktop products, CNET News.com has learned.

Although no specific plans have been made, executives within Microsoft are examining whether it makes sense to release ad-supported versions of products such as Works, Money, or even the Windows operating system itself, according to internal documents seen by CNET News.com.

The chief executive of the Open Source Development Labs (ODSL) has said that the threat facing Linux from software patent-infringement claims has receded.

LXer Feature

Let's face it. deploying computer technology in non-profit organizations can be a real challenge, especially if you don't have a bunch of tech geeks on staff. Well, meet the organizations that will show you how libre software can help you accomplish your mission without having to re-allocate your operational funds to your IT budget. These organizations can guide you from planning to implementation.

Diggable

Many years ago, while directing IT operations for a small company on the West Coast, I became aware that our network security was particularly weak. The company was growing at a rapid pace, IT was understaffed, the network was at capacity in a number of ways, and the demands were brutal both in terms of time and technology needs. While I didn't mind the long hours, I did mind that I didn't feel "up to snuff" in terms of selecting technologies that would enable us to expand the network and secure it. I had responsibility for IT and security, but I felt that there were holes in my knowledge. I wanted to fix that. So began my quest to become an information security professional.

From the would-you-just-get-a-room dept:

Within days of the launch of Apple's new video iPod, companies were rushing to deliver content ranging from mild to shocking.

"We think the growth of viewing adult content on iPod devices will be explosive in the coming months," said Harvey Kaplan of Xobile.com, which describes itself as "the leading provider of adult movies for mobile phones."

Ubuntu Linux patrons will notice a new installation option in the boot menu of the current 5.10 Breezy Badger release: OEM mode.

LXer Day Desk: 11-16-2005

If Microsoft offers a superior product to Linux then why would they need a "Get the Facts" campaign? Over the years, the Redmond computer technology firm has learned that buyers make decisions based on who else uses a product. They know executives will say to themselves, if Rayovac uses it, then it must be good enough.

So what do you see? Just about any time a major publication runs a story about Linux, Microsoft gets them to place a "Get the Facts" advertisements nearby and often right in the middle of the story. That seems pretty suspect to me.

Do you ever wonder if publications run Linux stories just to garner Microsoft's ad money? Or have you considered that desperate times call for desperate measures? It makes me wonder.

Diggable

Several Christian Ministers and laymen from across the US and Britain have spoken out against Microsoft's refusal to support OpenDocument, thus leaving visually-impaired users of their office suite effectively unable to use the new standard adopted by Massachusetts. The Christians see Microsoft's stance as intentionally withholding support so that it can turn a technical business decision into a political fight. By refusing to support OpenDocument, Microsoft is ignoring the cross-platform document sharing needs of visually impaired users, not only in Massachusetts, but also in the other 49 states, not to mention the rest of the world. The economically disadvantaged will also suffer from the lack of Opendocument support in Microsoft Office.

Diggable

"Too many of these companies (now forming) are being funded without a community," said Matrix Partners' David Skok in the story. "If a community doesn't form and form fast, then they're going to burn through their venture capital, and they're going to be disasters."

The final release version of FireFox 1.5 is expected today. New features in version 1.5 includes support for SVG, Canvas, CSS3 Columns, Javascript 1.6;