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So Linux is making its mark around the globe (see stories). But is it really making a difference? Well, Microsoft has had to offer a stripped-down, lower-priced version of Windows to compete with Linux. Many governments are putting Linux (and open-source software in general) on their short list for IT acquisitions. And Linux is being customized for local needs by local companies

A four-part blog article titled "The Linux Desktop Distribution of the Future" offers suggestions on how a future Linux Desktop might work. "It is not intended to be a comprehensive essay, although all the concepts presented here are consider[ed] 'doable,'" writes blogger Jerason Banes

Ruth Schall remembers when vendors and fellow IT directors would look at her network and scratch their heads. "I would get calls, and people would think we were freaks. They'd say, 'What are you doing?'" recalls Schall, director of MIS for the city of Kenosha, Wis. "But people don't consider us quite so strange anymore."
Kenosha, a city of about 100,000, was on the bleeding edge when it began deploying Linux nearly a decade ago. The city had been a Unix shop, but as IT demands became more dynamic and more dependent on the Internet, Schall decided that instead of buying more Unix boxes, it was time to look at an inexpensive alternative.

The MySQL database is unique in that it offers multiple storage engines. The SQL parser and front end interfaces are separate from the storage engines, so you can choose among nine low-level table formats the one that suits your application best. I recently needed to convert a production application from the default indexed sequential format, MyISAM, to InnoDB. Here's my no-hassle guide to performing the conversion.

A month-long online ICT policy discussion starting this week looks to raise awareness around intellectual property and ICT in in Africa. On the agenda will be free software, copyleft alternatives to traditional property rights and protecting indigenous knowledge, among others.

Open-source zealots may continue to play a part in instigating the spread of Linux across the European continent, nearly 14 years after Linus Torvalds hatched the operating system in Finland. But private corporations and public-sector users in Europe typically cite pragmatic reasons for taking up the open-source operating system. They point to price and performance benefits. They want freedom to swap out hardware. They find the operating system reliable. They like its flexibility.

A major Linux website webmaster is in trouble. They're in danger of losing house, home, and practically anything that isn't bolted down including their site which has been around for quite some time. To help this person, Lobby4Linux.com and "Yet Another Linux Blog" have teamed up to hold a Drawing for those who donate to help save this Linux site AND this webmaster from dire straits.

Episode #3 of the LQ Radio Show has been posted. The show is hosted by jeremy and includes a panel of LQ moderators. Topics include LQ Radio, LQ Bookmarks, the unsealed SCO email, Grokster, The Ubuntu Foundation, Linux on the Desktop (and Asa), Debian-based Enterprise Linux, the future of Sun and much more. Total running time is 1:23. A bittorrent is available. You can also download the show directly (in mp3 and ogg format) or as a Podcast.

An independent report from investment banking firm SG Cowen & Co says Linux is beginning to bump into constraints that will cause growth to slow and limit its inroads into the Microsoft Windows installed base. The report, authored by SG Cowan managing director and group head of technology research, Drew Brosseau, goes on to paint a cautious picture for investors considering taking a plunge into leading Linux providers Red Hat and Novel. That's remarkable in part because SG Cowan discloses in the report that it holds "1 per cent or more of the common equity securities" of Red Hat.

Ohio LinuxFest registration is now open. Speaker registration has been extended to August 15, 2005. It promises to be the biggest Ohio Linux event ever!

In the U.K., we have a vibrant and growing LUG movement, active both in bringing new people to open source through advocacy and in providing the ad-hoc support that all Linux users need. Until recently, though, there was no community-focused event for the U.K. open source community.

This is a mini Linux distribution for the Linksys wrt54g. In about 20 seconds, you can install a small set of Linux tools to your access point's ramdisk. The distribution is geared towards those who are curious about casually exploring the internal workings of this device. The installation is strictly to the ram disk of the box. No permanent changes are made. If you mess something up, power-cycle the box

Last Tuesday was the Indonesia Go Open Source (IGOS) Open House, held in the lobby of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) building on Jl. Thamrin. For the first time, there is a specific event focusing on open source solutions, which allows the general public to see how much Linux has entered the Indonesian IT marketplace. And like current business trends, a lot of applications were focused on the Small and Medium Business (SMB) market.

Welcome to this year's 29th issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The developers of Mandriva Linux have released the first beta of the upcoming Mandriva Linux 2006, the much anticipated new version, which is expected to incorporate some of the best features of Conectiva and Lycoris into Mandriva Linux. Likewise, the Debian developers continued with massive updates in their unstable branch - inevitably breaking things on occasion, but still marching firmly towards introducing new updates and features into the next release, code name 'etch'. Also in this issue: Onebase Linux, as our featured distribution of the week, and a quick tip about restoring an overwritten partition table. Happy reading!

Greg Wallace, the co-founder and chief marketing officer at Emu Software, chaired the panel on embedded Linux at last month's C3 Expo in New York. He says that Linux is the top choice among embedded developers, and, in contrast to the PC market where Wintel dominates, there are a large number of embedded system chip vendors, and a lot of competition and innovation in this space. We asked Wallace about his panel's discussion.

I've never really done any form of review ofSlackware Linux and I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because it might come across as bias since I consider it one of the most attractive distributions available today. Maybe it's because I've called it home for so many years. Who knows. I will say that I recently changed my mind about it and this is my story.

This is commercial site but the product just looks so cool

The picotux 100 is the world's smallest Linux computer, only slightly larger (35mm×19mm×19mm) than an RJ45 connector. Inside, there is an ARM7 CPU at 55 MHz running uClinux kernel 2.4.27 and Busybox 1.0. Two communication interfaces are provided, 10/100 Mbit half/full duplex Ethernet and a serial port with up to 230.400 baud. Five additional lines can be used for either general input/output or serial handshaking.

The OSDL, in my opinion, is the proper place for a Linux and Open Source Business Benefits repository. Filling the pages with excellent material, and keeping the material fresh, seems to require an OSDL Marketing Working Group. The task of this Working Group would be to find, and if it doesn't exist, create, the best Linux/Open Source case studies, application briefs, business cases. and ROI studies, and polish and categorize them according to the competitive advantages of Linux and Open Source.

Novell seems likely to increase its presence and that of open-source software in the school market after concluding a nationwide agreement with the Ministry of Education last week. The 18-month agreement gives schools access to Novell Open Enterprise Server, Suse Linux server and desktop operating systems and other Novell applications such as ZENworks, Groupwise and Border Manager.

Everyone claims they're going to get better, everyone claims they're going to more scalable, they all have their code names and the things they're going to show up with that are going to be wonderful in the future. And I shrug my shoulders and say OK, I'm waiting. That's all very interesting. I don't let it distract me. I'm focused on solving customer problems and delivering the best possible technology to grow IBM's business.