June 2003 - Fsf-friends - lists.fsci.in

Linux gets fresh kernel
by Soundara Rajan N.S. 16 Jun '03

16 Jun '03

Linux gets fresh kernel By Robert Lemos, CNET News.com 16/6/2003 URL: http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/systems/0,39001153,39136626,00.htm Updated code for the heart of current Linux products was released last Friday, in the first major revamp to the kernel since November. Linus Torvalds, maintainer Marcelo Tosatti and the main Linux developers issued the update to the latest stable version of the 2.4-series Linux kernel. The release, version 2.4.21, adds support in the open-source operating system for a host of new devices and corrects software flaws. It also incorporates support for Advanced Micro Devices' 64-bit Opteron processor. Tosatti, the person who oversees development of the 2.4-series kernel, and Torvalds, the original creator of the Linux kernel and now the person who oversees the kernel development process, have signed off on the latest version of the core code amid controversy. Unix vendor SCO Group has accused IBM of copying its proprietary code and including it in the Linux kernel. Big Blue has until today to meet SCO's demand that it comply with the terms of its Unix license or face revocation of its rights. However, IBM says it hasn't done anything wrong and isn't likely to yield to SCO's demands. The software update arrives in the month that Torvalds estimated the next version of the core Linux software, 2.6, would arrive. Torvalds had frozen the feature of the next generation of the kernel last October in order to hash out existing issues. The new kernel can be downloaded from the Linux development site Kernel.org

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Transmeta pushes Linux in China
by Soundara Rajan N.S. 16 Jun '03

16 Jun '03

Transmeta pushes Linux in China By Matthew Broersma, Special to CNETAsia Monday, June 16 2003 8:57 AM Transmeta has signed on Chinese computer maker Chinese 2000 Holdings to develop and market low-cost Linux-based devices such as notebooks, PCs and set-top boxes. Transmeta, a manufacturer of low-power, Intel-compatible chips, says its chips consume less power than Intel or Advanced Micro Devices processors--with similar performance. But Transmeta has struggled to win contracts with major PC makers. The company said it hopes a growing interest in Linux in the Asia-Pacific region will boost demand for Transmeta-powered products. Chinese 2000 Holdings will develop products based on Midori Linux--Transmeta's own Linux distribution for mobile devices. In exchange, Transmeta said it has taken an equity ownership in Chinese 2000 Holdings and the two companies have made a profit-sharing arrangement for revenue from the sale of Midori Linux services and support. The companies are aiming products at China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Interest in Linux has grown in Asia-Pacific countries because, unlike a lot of other software, its intellectual property is not owned by U.S. multinational corporations. Linux is distributed under an open-source license that broadly allows anyone to modify and redistribute the code, as long as the modifications are shared with the developer community.. The Chinese government is backing a home-grown Linux system called Red Flag, while in Thailand, HP is selling a low-cost "people's notebook" running on Linux. Because of Linux's stability, some electronics makers are already using it to power high-end consumer electronics devices, one the best-known being the TiVo digital video recorder. "Transmeta's unique combination of microprocessor, system-level and Linux expertise, coupled with Chinese 2000 Holdings' experience in the Asian markets, make a formidable partnership," Transmeta Chief Executive Matthew R. Perry said in a statement. "Together, we offer our customers a comprehensive approach to Linux-based computing." ZDNet UK's Matthew Broersma reported from London.

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News from the GLUG-T
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 16 Jun '03

16 Jun '03

An interesting report from South India... FN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Vijay Kumar B." <ec10052(a)rect.ernet.in> Subject: [glug-t] Meeting Minutes Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2003 14:02:43 GMT Every GLUG-T meeting is a different experience. But this one was a _really_ different experience. By 10:00am the strength was around 7(4 boys and 3 girls). But the people at Accel who were to provide the meeting place had not arrived yet. One of our speaker's Mr. Balaji had also not arrived. We decided to start. We sat down a flight of stairs in the Accel building.(There are no barriers for the exchange of knowledge!) Luckily I had my laptop with me which served the purpose of a digital black board. Manik borrowed the watch man's chair to put the laptop on top of it. The meeting started with an introduction of the two new girls 8-) Then we moved on to the first topic 'Game Programming in SDL' by me. I started off with crediting the author Sam Lantinga, and then showed a few programs written using SDL, to get an idea of what we are going to talk about. Heres a list of stuff I then started talking about: 1) Initializing the library, and quitting the library. 2) Video modes, resolution, bit depth, and the flags available with SDL_SetVideoMode. 3) Different bit depth formats and their details and functions available to generate those pixel formats from RGB values. 4) Drawing graphics on the screen either by directly accessing the pixels or by blitting. Locking and Unlocking the surface. 5) Loading windows BMP files, using SDL_LoadBMP. 6) Keyboard event handling using SDL's polling function and reading the keyboard status using SDL_GetKeyState. Did I say that you will use SDL_PumpEvents before using SDL_GetKeyState? 7) Providing proper delay using SDL_Delay and SDL_GetTicks. This was what I had prepared to talk about but Manik insisted that I explain the logic used in my pacman clone(one of the demos I had shown at the start). So I went on to explain state machines and the A* algorithm. We then moved on to the next topic of the meeting "Regular Expressions" by Rams. By then another staff of STEP TREC had joined us. He also informed us that Mr. Balaji will not be coming for the meeting because he was stuck up with some web server problem. Rams explained the history of the regular expression. It seems regexp were used long back in Set theory and were latter adopted in the computer world. Rams started off with repetition operators used with regular expressions '*' and '+'. He used the grep program and the dictionary file to demonstrate their purpose. He also explained that their meanings were different from the ones used in shell expansion. Here is a list of what he spoke about: 1) '.' and '?' repetition operators. 2) Anchoring using '^' and '$' to match the beginning and end of line. 3) Subexpressions and the infix operator "|". 4) Back referencing. (I particularly liked the palindrome searching example.) 5) Bracket expression using '[' ']'. Negating the expression. Specifying ranges. 6) Character classes to be used within Bracket expression. 7) Repetition operators '{N, M}' 8) Operators(?) related to the edge of a word '\b', '\B'. 9) Operators(?) related to the beginning and end of a word '\<' '\>'. On my request he gave us a list of tools that use regexp. extensively - awk, sed, perl, emacs, etc. He also showed us how to use regexp search in emacs. I then told the new members about our mailing lists. We then discussed about the topics for the next meeting. Muthu wanted to give us an introduction on Python, I wanted to show everybody a demo on the One True Program ;-), and Mr. Balaji would talk on clusters. We can only hope that the next meeting's venue will not be a staircase but a more glamorous hall at SASTRA. I hope all the members carried back home great experiences of this wonderful(?!) meeting. Non-free* software sucks. - RMS * 'free' as in freedom.

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[Fsf-friends] LINK: Call for volunteers to work on Bangla localisation (Gnome/GNU-Linux)
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 16 Jun '03

16 Jun '03

From: "Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay" <essemm(a)softhome.net> To: "Frederick Noronha" <fred(a)bytesforall.org> Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 8:54 PM Subject: a call for volunteers attached please find an attachment calling for volunteers for the Bangla Localisation Project (Ankur). can you pass this around ? kindly do the needful. warm regards and have a wonderful day. sankarshan ********************************************** A call for 'Volunteers' An Overview The Ankur Bangla Translation Project is a voluntary community based localisation project aimed at facilitating the Bangla/Bengali version of the Gnome Project(of the Free Software Foundation). Under the aegis of this effort, around 12000 lines (in over 42 files) will be translated. Current Status As on 13.06.2003, more than 50% of the Gnome-Core and library files have been translated. The locale settings have been satisfactorily tested and the screenshots are available at the webpage of the Project at www.bengalinux.org Volunteer Profile The Ankur Project is in the final stages and this announcement forms the basis of a call for volunteers. The Project welcomes all those who are willing to participate, however the following qualities are most desirable: [1] ability and willingness to work in a community based development project using the OpenSource Software development model. [2] capability to identify the 'proper' vernacular equivalents of technical terms. [3] possessing conceptual clarity about Human Computer Interaction as well as linguistic nuances. [4] ease-of-use with GNU/Linux distributions, though the task of translation can also be carried out under other platforms (for details contact the mailing list). [5] capability to devote time and effort to undertake translation of strings. All contributions from volunteers will be duly acknowledged and credited. For further information about ongoing projects, please visit the homepage at www.bengalinux.org or join the mailing list gnome-translation(a)bengalinux.org. ---------- Who Dares, Wins !! http://sankarshan.blogspot.com - Random Thoughts http://sankarshan.rediffblogs.com - Open Minds, Open Source ----------

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Indian, Pakistan... parallel thinking on GNU/Linux
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 15 Jun '03

15 Jun '03

URL : http://www.corante.com/mooreslore/20030601.shtml#39263 Pakistan Putting Money Into Linux [map-pakistan.jpg] Our Pakistani correspondent, [49]Tariq Mustafa, writes to say that the new Pakistani national budget has $2.5 million in it for Linux. It's all part of a $54 million (Rs 3.25 billion) proposal covering 120 different projects in Information Technology and sciences for the coming year, according to the [50]Daily Times of Pakistan. Linux even gets its own line-item in the IT budget, according to the Daily Times story. You may remember a few weeks ago that I wrote about how India's President faced down Bill Gates over the issue, saying that his country needed to control its own computing destiny and that software controlled by an outsider (i.e. Windows) could not provide that. The big news here is that Pakistan agrees. Now perhaps they might settle their other differences. (I know, Tariq -- it's not that simple. But just [51]Imagine...) [52]Dana Blankenhorn 49. http://pakistan.blogspot.com/ 50. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_9-6-2003_pg7_41 51. http://www.merseyworld.com/imagine/lyrics/imagine.htm 52. http://www.a-clue.com/ -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick Noronha (FN) | http://www.fredericknoronha.net Freelance Journalist | http://www.bytesforall.org http://goalinks.pitas.com | http://joingoanet.shorturl.com http://linuxinindia.pitas.com | http://www.livejournal.com/users/goalinks ------------------------------------------------------------------------- T: 0091.832.2409490 or 2409783 M: 0 9822 122436 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Anti social
by CK Raju 14 Jun '03

14 Jun '03

>From President's point of view : If 'believing in proprietary solutions' is unfortunate then 'using one' would be wrong, and 'propagating or advocating proprietary solutions' would be a crime. If the outcome has 'devastating effects on society', then prescribing it would be definitely anti social. Which means some 'projects' here in Kerala, are using 'anti social and criminal' means to take things to certain 'ends'. Is it wrong if we exposed 'them' this way ? CK Raju

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[UNDP Consultation] ICT Working Group Calls for Promotion of Free and Open Source Software (fwd)
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 14 Jun '03

14 Jun '03

This was put out on Irfan Khan's s-asia-it(a)apnic.net mailing list. FN ---------- Forwarded message ---------- [with thanks to DigitalOpportunity.org for the lead] UNDP Consultation on ICT4D and Media Partnerships ICT Working Group Calls for Promotion of Free and Open Source Software New Delhi, 31 May [2003]: Free and Open Source Software should be promoted as the new mantra in the area of using Information and Communication technology (ICT) for Human Development. This was the key message of the discussions during the second day of the Consultation on ICTs for Development and Cross- Media Partnerships, organised jointly by the United Nations Development Programme, the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. Describing Open Source Software as an area of far-reaching relevance for rural development and community-based initiatives, Mr. R. Chandrashekhar, the Joint Secretary for E-Governance, Ministry of Information Technology, said that a number of fora within the Government were actively promoting and advocating for non-proprietary software. We have to keep in mind a discerning consumer who wants quality and value delivered at an affordable price, and Open Source Software meets this requirement well, he said. Speaking at the Consultation, Dr. S Ramakrishnan, the head of Software Development in the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, made a strong case for the promotion of Free and Open Source Software. He called for greater localisation of Open Source Software and vendor support for user groups. Dr. Ramakrishnan also said that in the last few months there has been increasing debate and discussion within the Government about promoting Open Source Software. He said that the Government recognises a tremendous scope for public-private partnerships and is considering pilot initiatives and supporting the NGOs working the field. He said the need of the hour is to spread the word and encourage people to look at Open Source Software as an efficient alternative. He said workshops like these helped demystify Open Source Software and break the prevailing myths. The Consultation highlighted successful case studies in the use of Open Source Software in various areas. Mr. Sanjay Jaju, District Collector of the West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh and pioneer of the much-acclaimed e-governance initiative Saukaryam, discussed how the use of Open Source Software has enhanced the administration work in his district. Mr. Kishore Bhargava of Link Axis Technologies talked about the potential of Open Source Software in the field of education and explained how its low cost, flexibility and easy adaptability could prove to be the key to expanding education opportunities in the country. Mr. Venkatesh Hariharan of IndLinux made a compelling case for promoting Open Source Software in the area of Indian language computing. He said that India was in a condition of Digital Brahminism where the English-educated and computer literate minority enjoyed a position of privilege. He called for the development of localised software for the 900 million-strong non-English speaking population of the country. He quoted the example of China where the law mandates every computer in the country to be equipped with a Chinese language interface, and said it was disappointing that we do not have an interface for Hindi, which is the fourth largest spoken language in the world. The recommendations of the Consultation emphasized that Open Source Software has implications for human development, and thus the issue of technology should be considered not in isolation but in the context of development. Discussions during the Consultation yielded a consensus about Open Source Software being the way forward, and the need for developing support mechanisms for bringing about an open source software revolution. source: http://www.undp.org.in/NEWS/PRESS/press262.htm _______________________________________________ s-asia-it mailing list s-asia-it(a)lists.apnic.net http://mailman.apnic.net/mailman/listinfo/s-asia-it

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SUGGESTION: Buidling a network...
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 14 Jun '03

14 Jun '03

Hi, Over the last couple of years, the momentum for building a network of Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) across India seems to have slackened. Correct me if I'm wrong... When we in Goa were planning to set up a G/LUG, we got a whole lot of support from friends in Mumbai. They offered to send us CDs, gave us tips on how to go about things, and lent moral support in many ways. Can we think of some initiative to continue with such a trend, maybe on a more organised basis? For a country of one thousand million, we have an estimated 40-60 known LUGs/GLUGs/FSUGs. Some of these are very active, some barely so. Anyway, this means that there exists a group for a population of nearly 20 million! This is clearly insufficient to spread awareness about FLOSS. LinuxForYou's listing of Indian Linux User Groups puts down contacts for some 54 groups. But this needs updating and corrections (for instance, under 'Goa' you find the Margao group, while the Panjim group gets listed under a separate head and the third free software group, at the Farmaguddi engineering college, doesn't seem to get mentioned). Anyway, this is one starting point... Linux-magazine.com lists some 21 FLOSS groups across India (Bangalore, 2 groups; Calcutta, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Jabalpur, Kanpur, Madurai, Mangalore, Meerut, Mysore, Nasik, North India, Pandalam, Patna, Pune, Trivandrum and Visakhapatnam). Maybe what we should aim for is: o Build a LUG/FSUG/GLUG in every district o Encourage smaller LUGs to be built up in different parts of larger cities, provided there is no overlap in activities or unhealthy rivalry o Scout around for those willing to launch GLUGs/LUGs/FSUGs in places where none exist. Perhaps the most useful help one could offer to a new group would be o Moral support o Sharing CDs to build up a local 'CD repository' o Tips on how to sustain activities o Posting to their lists to help build up critical mass o Volunteering speakers who are willing to travel and talk in their region (Trevor Warren and team from Mumbai have done a good job in helping Belgaum and Hubli recently). o Build a network to keep monitoring where the building up of such groups would be possible. After meeting in Bangalore last December (LB2002), Sukrit of Pondicherry and a few others set up a small network called the Little League. See little_league(a)yahoogroups.com It's goal is to encourage new LUGs to grow and share resources. Maybe some of the new groups could join that network. Please send in your suggestions, brickbats and criticism to the suggestions above. Whichever way we do it, it would be important to take on this task at some stage. FN -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick Noronha (FN) | http://www.fredericknoronha.net Freelance Journalist | http://www.bytesforall.org http://goalinks.pitas.com | http://joingoanet.shorturl.com http://linuxinindia.pitas.com | http://www.livejournal.com/users/goalinks ------------------------------------------------------------------------- T: 0091.832.2409490 or 2409783 M: 0 9822 122436 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Can't read SRNS's postings on digest version
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 14 Jun '03

14 Jun '03

Is there some problem with Soundara Rajan's postings? Don't seem to be getting through. Is this because these are multipart and include gifs? FN > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 05:49:52 -0700 > From: "Soundara Rajan N.S." <searchlight(a)sancharnet.in> > Subject: [Fsf-friends] 'Linux hasn't cut into our Indian market' > To: fsf-friends(a)mm.gnu.org.in > Message-ID: <00e001c33017$f450e870$dd84013d@soundar> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252" > > Skipped content of type multipart/alternative

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PIL Seeks Window Out Of Microsoft
by Soundara Rajan N.S. 12 Jun '03

12 Jun '03

PIL Seeks Window Out Of Microsoft Sudarshan Kumar New Delhi, June 11: Even as Microsoft wages war against rival open source operating system Linux around the world, a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the Jharkhand High Court could add fuel to the open source versus proprietary software debate, particularly in the e-governance space. The Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft is ubiquitous through its popular Windows operating systems which run most of the world’s desktop computers. The petition filed by a high court lawyer in Ranchi pleads for a directive to the Indian government and the state of Jharkhand to implement cheaper open source (read, Linux) software instead of expensive proprietary products. There has been a renewed thrust within governments, both in the states and at the Centre, to evaluate alternatives on Linux. Linux is an open source code operating system developed by software programmer Linus Torvalds to offer an alternative to the Unix system, variants of which are offered by leading vendors in their proprietary versions. The Linux source code is free to everyone under a general public licence. The term ‘Linux’ was derived from ‘Unix’ and ‘Linus’. The petitioner-lawyer, Manish Kumar, did not wish to go on the record or share details of the petition. However, sources familiar with the process said point of admission hearing has been fixed for June 12. The petition says that proprietary software is available at a high price and its source code cannot be modified except with the approval of its owner. The code for open source software is, however, freely available and can be modified according to the user’s requirements. A Microsoft spokesperson said the company could not comment on the PIL “as it is sub-judice”. However, sources close to the company said Linux was often used by government officials as an “arm-twisting” tool during negotiations. On the open source debate, Microsoft India head of marketing Sanjiv Mathur said: “Both commercial and open source software play important roles in the broader IT ecosystem - and in supporting IT-related development. The commercial software model has effectively demonstrated development-related advantages, including cost-effectiveness, opportunities for growth, long-term sustainability, and affordable access. These advantages will largely be lost if developing nations, like India, adopt biases against commercial software or enact policies that inhibit the growth of a domestic commercial software industry.” Microsoft had recently invited Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda to a ‘government leadership summit’ in Redmond. Mr Munda, however, did not attend the mid-May meet. The company has been persistent in its evangelising efforts to woo governments and corporates alike across the world to implement its proprietary products and solutions. Critics say these licensing deals lock customers into heavy initial investments and regular payments for ‘upgrades’ to improved versions that are launched periodically. The software maker last month lost a key battle against Linux in Munich, Germany, where the city council decided to switch its 14,000-computer network to the open source operating system. Linux itself came under attack recently, albeit indirectly, with Unix code owner SCO Group (formerly Santa Cruz Operations) suing IBM (International Business Machines) for an alleged breach of contract. SCO says IBM handed over pieces of its proprietary Unix code to Linux developers. While IBM has denied any wrongdoing, Microsoft expressed tacit support for SCO by licensing its Unix technology. URL: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=36075

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SCO says to act against IBM if no deal by Friday
by Soundara Rajan N.S. 12 Jun '03

12 Jun '03

SCO says to act against IBM if no deal by Friday Reuters, 06.11.03, 7:01 PM ET By Reed Stevenson SEATTLE (Reuters) - SCO Group Inc., which claims International Business Machines Corp. illegally used parts of its Unix software in other programs, said Wednesday that it could revoke its license to the world's largest computer company unless they settled this week. Lindon, Utah-based SCO is suing IBM for more than $1 billion and warned 1,500 other companies last month that they may be violating SCO's intellectual property rights because parts of its Unix software code are being used in Linux. Unix is a widely-used operating system for networked computers that was first developed by AT&T Corp. Various versions of Unix are now used to run corporate and government computer systems for serving up Web pages, accounting, manufacturing and storing information. Linux, unlike proprietary versions of Unix and Microsoft Corp.'s Windows programs, is a version of Unix that can be copied and modified freely. IBM, which had licensed Unix code in order to develop its own Unix-based system called AIX, is also one of the biggest champions of Linux, which it supports in order to sell its hardware and services to corporations. SCO claims that IBM transferred some AIX code over to Linux. "If we don't have a resolution by midnight on Friday the 13th, the AIX world will be a different place," SCO President and Chief Executive Darl McBride told Reuters. "We've basically mapped out what we will do. People will be running AIX without a valid license," said McBride, who offered no specific details on what action SCO would take. IBM declined to say whether it was in negotiations with SCO to meet Friday's deadline. "IBM believes that our contract with regard to AIX is irrevocable and perpetual and there is nothing further to discuss," said IBM spokeswoman Trink Guarino. SLEEPING GIANT Some industry experts see SCO's campaign as an attempt to gain a windfall settlement, most likely by selling itself to IBM or another industry heavyweight. SCO, formerly known as Caldera Systems Inc., owns the intellectual property rights to Unix but also makes versions of Unix that run on Intel Corp.'s microprocessors, which also serves as the main platform for Windows and Linux. Intel-based computers are generally considered cheaper than other high-end systems offered by IBM or Sun Microsystems Inc. and have been gaining ground in corporations. SCO posted a profit of $3.8 million during the first half of its current fiscal year, compared to a loss of $17.6 million a year earlier, due in part to increased income from its Unix assets. McBride said SCO's Unix intellectual property had been previously under-utilized by the company: "We've spent the last couple of quarters waking the sleeping giant." So far, that initiative has reaped rewards for McBride, SCO's 340 employees and shareholders. SCO's shares have skyrocketed in the past year to $8.65, its latest close on Wednesday from a 52-week low of 60 cents. SCO also won a license from Microsoft, which agreed to pay SCO to ensure that it would not violate intellectual property rights when developing software that works with Unix. But Microsoft's move was widely seen as an attempt to lend weight to SCO's attack on Linux, which Microsoft views as a threat to its Windows franchise. McBride also said it had resolved most of its differences with another software maker, Novell Inc. which had previously owned the rights to Unix. Novell acquired the rights to Unix in 1992 and later sold those rights to SCO in 1995. SCO developed the first commercial version of Unix for Intel chips and was IBM's partner in developing AIX. But with the growth of Microsoft's Windows software and the advent of Linux as a popular alternative to Unix, SCO struggled. Microsoft even owned a portion of the company, but sold it in 2000. Copyright 2003, Reuters News Service Source: www.forbes.com

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'Linux hasn't cut into our Indian market'
by Soundara Rajan N.S. 11 Jun '03

11 Jun '03

'Linux hasn't cut into our Indian market' THE RAJIV KAUL INTERVIEW / PRAGATI VERMA & SANJEEV SHARMA TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2003 12:40:29 AM ] Rajiv Kaul, managing director, Microsoft India, is working out how to invest the Rs 2,000 crore-booty that Bill Gates has earmarked for India. This is Microsoft’s largest investment outside the US. Mr Kaul also has to take on Linux and the open source software movement that’s spreading fast across India. He talks about the Microsoft agenda to Pragati Verma and Sanjeev Sharma. Excerpts related to Linux:.. How do you assess the impact of Linux in India? Hardly any. Even if you look at IDC figures, our marektshare has not fallen. We have maintained a marketshare of 60% for the last two years on the Windows server. On the desktop, we’ve seen a negligible impact. You would have to struggle to figure out any big Linux customer on the desktop. It has taken years and decades for Windows to make its own space on desktop. It takes a lot of effort and investment from the entire ecosystem. Even if you forget about industry issues — latest versions, standard codes, licensing issues — it’s our ecosystems of partners that count. On the server side, Linux today is used primarily in two scenarios — high volume but low value like web pages. And second is low volume but high value like scientific applications. We have extended our line of offerings to offer solutions in both these areas. Primary use of Linux is still seen only at academic and research level. So, Linux has not dented Microsoft’s business in India in any way? It is a competitive market but we haven’t seen a significant impact till now. Various governments are evaluating technologies but the official policy of the government of India is to be neutral and not play a role in choosing one platform or another. Initially, there was some hype and hoopla over the so-called ‘free’ software, but users are fast realising the total cost of owing a Windows system could be far lower. And there are enough research studies available vouching for that. When you buy Microsoft, you know what you buy is what you get and there are no hidden costs. In fact, users like central depository system (CDS) and Moser Baer, who had earlier opted for Linux, are moving back to Microsoft. We are already seeing the first stages of discontent among Linux users.

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Dear Steve: Time for Microsoft Linux?
by Soundara Rajan N.S. 10 Jun '03

10 Jun '03

Dear Steve: Time for Microsoft Linux? David Coursey, Executive Editor, AnchorDesk Monday, June 9, 2003 Dear Steve Ballmer: Concerning Linux and your memo/exhortation of June 4, I'm pleased to see you've finally recognized--publicly, at least--the threat posed to Microsoft by Linux. Some in the Linux community must imagine you with a sort of "deer in the headlights" look, not quite sure of your fate but certain it can't be good. They could see your memo as a legitimization of Linux, an admission by Goliath that David has a point after all. The Linux hardcore must be hooting and hollering and marking June 4 as a future national day of liberation from the evil empire. I THINK they have it backwards. I think Linux proponents are the ones who should be afraid. Why? Because Microsoft has been in this situation before and, once the battleship was turned, fought and won. Your company also ended up being declared a monopoly, making a deal with the feds, and spending large millions on legal fees. But what's that to Microsoft's multibillion-dollar war chest? You remember the fall of 1995? Back then, people thought Microsoft was hopelessly late in acknowledging the existence of something called the Internet. Competitors were popping up, the industry was abuzz, and Microsoft was nowhere to be found. As I remember, Microsoft had some important projects to finish the previous summer, in particular a little something called Windows 95. But by December, once that had shipped and people had a chance to rest and regroup, Bill invited the media up to Microsoft for a talk about the Internet. That turned out to be one of the most fateful days in personal computing history. Bill told several hundred reporters that Microsoft wouldn't be building Internet products. Instead, it would be putting the Internet into all Microsoft products. Every future Microsoft product would have Internet capabilities built-in. NOW, I'M NOT SURE your June 4 memo is the same war cry I heard nearly eight years ago. But if I were Linux and faced with the prospect of Microsoft throwing everything it could at me, I'd find some way to get out of your path. Here's my suggestion for how Microsoft should deal with Linux: Don't beat 'em, join 'em. Do a release of MS Linux. Create Office for Linux. Improve Linux support in your development tools. Do such a good job of embracing and extending Linux that the world won't care when you essentially annex it for your own. A more cynical person than myself might add: Then you can kill it. I won't, because I believe Linux deserves to live. I think this is the only way Microsoft can both give its customers what they want and manage the threat Linux poses on something approaching your own terms. The first question people will immediately ask is: How can Microsoft participate in an open operating system? Two ways: First, by making it as robust an OS as possible. Second, by creating a collection of services and applications that run atop Linux that only Microsoft controls. The goal here is to shift the competition away from commodity operating systems running on commodity computers. Instead, you should compete on services that sit atop the OS, tools to build applications for it, and integration between the OS and other servers and desktops in the Microsoft world. The second inevitable question: What about Linux on the desktop? While Apple has proven with OS X that a really great desktop can be built atop Unix, I'm not sure how far Microsoft wants to go down this road. There should probably be an Office for MS Linux, because some people will want to run Office on Linux desktops. But I'd probably stop there. BY ADOPTING Linux as its own, Microsoft can respond to what I see as its chief attraction: It's a free operating system for inexpensive servers. Yes, I know there is more to it than that. But a free Microsoft OS that supports other Microsoft technologies would seem to be attractive. And if what we are really doing is raising the level of competition, it might make sense to build middleware and apps for other Linux releases as well. Would Microsoft find itself competing with other vendor's Linux software? Absolutely. But has that stopped Microsoft before? Think of Linux as just another world in need of Microsoft domination and you'll be fine. More broadly, perhaps it is time to offer customers a choice of underlying technologies, as Sun seems to be doing by offering the same stack of middleware for both Solaris and Linux running on Intel-based hardware. Linux (and Unix more generally) could also solve some of Microsoft's security problems and give customers a less expensive and more "open" (whatever that really means) alternative to MS operating systems, while remaining within the Microsoft fold. You could position Linux as the solution for less critical applications, while targeting proprietary MS operating systems at higher performance apps. I can't possibly get into all the issues surrounding a Microsoft-branded Linux here--I can think of a zillion complications. But it's an idea I'd like to see you explore. I have no doubt that if Microsoft decided to participate in the Linux market, the world would be a different place. After all, I've seen what you did with the Internet. Late to the party isn't the same as missing it. Sincerely, David

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SCO says clause bolsters Linux claim
by Soundara Rajan N.S. 09 Jun '03

09 Jun '03

SCO says clause bolsters Linux claim By Stephen Shankland, CNET News.com 9/6/2003 URL: http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/systems/0,39001153,39135666,00.htm SCO Group last week discovered a clause in a contract that could bolster its potential legal claims against Linux users. The company said it has uncovered a 1996 amendment to the contract under which Novell sold many of its Unix assets--which appears to give SCO claim to at least some Unix copyrights. The amendment seems to reverse a provision in the original 1995 asset transfer agreement under which Novell sold much of the Unix business to SCO's predecessor, the Santa Cruz Operation. That sale specifically excluded copyrights from the transfer. The amendment modifies this exclusion, so that SCO seems to receive at least some Unix copyrights. "Our interpretation of this is that we have the copyrights for Unix and UnixWare technologies," said SCO spokesman Blake Stowell. The amendment, dated Oct. 16, 1996, was signed about a year after the original transfer agreement. Even SCO challenger Novell seems to concur, in part, with SCO's interpretation, though Novell said it doesn't have a copy of the amendment in its files and still takes issue with SCO's actions against Linux users. The amendment "that came to Novell's attention today appears to bear a valid Novell signature, and the language, though convoluted, seems to support SCO's claim that ownership of some copyrights for Unix did transfer to SCO," Novell said in a statement issued Thursday. "The amendment does not address ownership of patents, however, which clearly remain with Novell." The amendment was part of a larger financial transaction between the Santa Cruz Operation and Novell, but Stowell didn't have details of that broader agreement. Novell also reiterated its demand that SCO substantiate its claims that proprietary Unix code has been copied into Linux, an open-source operating system modeled after Unix, but whose underlying source code is public. The copying claim, which grew out of SCO's U$1 billion lawsuit against IBM, spurred SCO to send letters to 1,500 large companies warning that using Linux could expose them to legal liability. At least one independent observer agreed that the amendment appears to give SCO copyrights. "They do have the copyrights," said John Ferrell, an intellectual property attorney with Carr and Ferrell, after reviewing the contract amendment. However, for SCO to bring copyright-based lawsuits against Linux users, SCO would have to show that the copyright transfers have been registered at the U.S. Copyright Office, Ferrell said. Signing a contract that transfers the copyrights but not registering that transfer "is akin to buying the Hearst Castle and not recording the deed with the county recorder," Ferrell said. The amendment changes the intellectual property that wasn't sold to the Santa Cruz Operation. It was modified to exclude from transfer "all copyrights and trademarks, except for the copyrights and trademarks owned by Novell as of the date of the agreement, required for SCO to exercise its rights with respect to the acquisition of Unix and UnixWare technologies." A SCO paralegal found the amendment Thursday in a filing cabinet, Stowell said. It's titled "Amendment No. 2"; Amendment No. 1 is "completely immaterial" to the issue of copyrights and trademarks, said Stowell, who said he believes there are no other amendments. SCO plans to detail the amended filing and its implications in a news conference Friday.

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Re Runaway ESR
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 09 Jun '03

09 Jun '03

Amol, I'm not in the "too lazy" category. But I use a dial-up on a painfully slow line. This means, visiting URLs is a real pain. Could you post a few details (or a part of the article) so that we don't have to visit the website, but read it via email itself on this list? Tks, FN > From: Amol Hatwar <rollacosta(a)phreaker.net> > Subject: [Fsf-friends] Runaway ESR > To: fsf-friends(a)mm.gnu.org.in, rms(a)gnu.org.in > Cc: linuxers(a)mm.gnu.org.in > Message-ID: <1055130776.12002.19.camel(a)localhost.localdomain> > Content-Type: text/plain > > Wonder if any one of you came across this @ Slashdot. It's about ESR > adding his own jargon descriptions to the well-known jargon file he > maintains. You can see the post here: > http://slashdot.org/articles/03/06/08/1534249.shtml?tid=99 > > For people too lazy to point their browsers here's a short description: > > ---Starts-- > As reported by NTK, ESR appears to have embarked apon the process of > recasting the Jargon File in his own image, adding terms like "Aunt > Tillie" and "GhandiCon" that he dreamt up and seemingly no-one else > uses, and various terms from (of all places) the warblogging community, > where he is active. He's also updated the "Hacker Politics" page to be > more closely aligned with his own views. > --Ends-- -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick Noronha (FN) | http://www.fredericknoronha.net Freelance Journalist | http://www.bytesforall.org http://goalinks.pitas.com | http://joingoanet.shorturl.com http://linuxinindia.pitas.com | http://www.livejournal.com/users/goalinks ------------------------------------------------------------------------- T: 0091.832.2409490 or 2409783 M: 0 9822 122436 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Runaway ESR
by Amol Hatwar 09 Jun '03

09 Jun '03

Wonder if any one of you came across this @ Slashdot. It's about ESR adding his own jargon descriptions to the well-known jargon file he maintains. You can see the post here: http://slashdot.org/articles/03/06/08/1534249.shtml?tid=99 For people too lazy to point their browsers here's a short description: ---Starts-- As reported by NTK, ESR appears to have embarked apon the process of recasting the Jargon File in his own image, adding terms like "Aunt Tillie" and "GhandiCon" that he dreamt up and seemingly no-one else uses, and various terms from (of all places) the warblogging community, where he is active. He's also updated the "Hacker Politics" page to be more closely aligned with his own views. --Ends-- Regards, Amol Hatwar.

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SCO evidence
by Amol Hatwar 09 Jun '03

09 Jun '03

Seems that SCO has given evidence to analysts at the Aberdeen Group; some 80 lines of it. More details here: http://eet.com/sys/news/OEG20030606S0039 As of now, I think SCO's making a mountain out of a mole-hill. But then here is one concern presented in the article: <i>If SCO (Lindon, Utah) prevails in its legal efforts, many observers believe the action could, at best, result in hundreds of multimillion-dollar licensing payments from Fortune 1000 companies and, at worst, damage the foundation of open-source software.</i> Well, I knew OSS was based on wrong principles--kind of a leg-in-leg, but this will certainly raise questions on the immunity of Free Software from such claims. Any expert opinions here? Amol Hatwar.

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Re: Invitation to participate in Pista 2003
by CK Raju 08 Jun '03

08 Jun '03

On Thu, 2003-06-05 at 23:35, Jose Vicente Carrasquero wrote: > We are sorry to take some of your time, we think it would be interesting > for you to know that we have extended the deadline, therefore, we send you > once more, the invitation to participate in PISTA 2003 and the respective > Call For Papers, as follows: > > The Organizing Committee of the International Conference on Socio Political > Informatics and Cybernetics: Pista '03, is pleased to invite you to > participate in this international event that will be held in July 31, > August 1-2, 2003, in Orlando, Florida, USA. > > This is an international conference organized jointly with the > International Conference on Computer, Communication and Control > Technologies: CCCT '03 (July 31, August 1-2, 2003). > > Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are transforming our > societies, therefore papers about research results, solutions and problems > of the applications of ICT in Politics and Society are highly encouraged. > > We are making emphasis on the area of Informatics and Government , mainly > Open Source for National and Local eGovernment Programs which is related > to your specific area. > > You are also invited to organize a panel or an invited session. Panel > sessions with panelists coming from both: ICT researcher/practitioners and > political consultants or politicians are highly encouraged. > > You can find more information about Pista '03, in our web site > http://www.confinf.org/Pista03/WebSite2003/default.asp . > > Could you please deliver the Call for Papers I am including herein, to your > colleagues? > > If you consider that the deadlines are tight and you need more time, > please, let me know about a suitable timing for you and I will inform you > if it is feasible for us. > > This deadline is exclusively for the people who are being invited through > these letters hence, this deadline won't be published in our web site. > > Best Regards, > > Professor Jose Vicente Carrasquero > General Chair Pista 2003 > > CALL FOR PAPERS > > International Conference on Socio Political Informatics and Cybernetics: > Pista '03 > July 31, August 1-2, 2003 - Orlando, Florida, USA > Jointly with The International Conference On Computer, Communication And > Control Technologies: CCCT '03 > > http://www.confinf.org/Pista03 > > Pista '03 Organizing Committee invites authors to submit their original and > unpublished works, innovations, ideas based on analogical thinking, > problems that require solutions, position papers, case studies, etc., in > the fields of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT > researchers are invited to present their research results. > Practitioners and consultants are invited to present case study papers and > innovative solutions. Corporations are invited to present political > information systems and software based solutions. Public servers are > invited to present case studies, information systems developed for specific > purpose, and innovative ideas and designs. Political and social scientists > are invited to present research or position papers on the impact and the > future possibilities of ICT in Societal systems and political processes. > Politician and political consultants are invited to present problems that > might be solved by means of ICT, or solutions that might be improved by > different approaches and design in ICT. > > All are invited to organize panel or invited sessions. Panel sessions with > panelists coming from both: ICT researcher/practitioners and political > consultants or politicians are highly encouraged. > > Submitted papers must describe work not previously published. They must not > be submitted concurrently to another conference with refereed proceedings. > > Pista '03 Organizing Committee invites authors to submit their original and > unpublished works, innovations, ideas based on analogical thinking, > problems that require solutions, position papers, case studies, etc., in > the fields of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT > researchers are invited to present their research results. Practitioners > and consultants are invited to present case study papers and innovative > solutions. Corporations are invited to present political information > systems and software based solutions. > Public servers are invited to present case studies, information systems > developed for specific purpose, and innovative ideas and designs. Political > and social scientists are invited to present research or position papers on > the impact and the future possibilities of ICT in Societal systems and > political processes. Politician and political consultants are invited to > present problems that might be solved by means of ICT, or solutions that > might be improved by different approaches and design in ICT. > > All are invited to organize panel or invited sessions. Panel sessions with > panelists coming from both: ICT researcher/practitioners and political > consultants or politicians are highly encouraged. > > Submitted papers must describe work not previously published. They must not > be submitted concurrently to another conference with refereed proceedings. > > You can find complete information about the conference in our web page > http://www.confinf.org/Pista03 > > > * Pista '03 ORGANIZATION > > General Chair: Prof.: Jose Vicente Carrasquero > Organizing Committee Chair: Prof: Frederik Welsch > > Organized by the IIIS: The International Institute of Informatics and > Systemics > > * CONFERENCE AREAS AND TOPICS > > Informatics And society > Social Informatics. Cyber-Civics. > Digital Libraries. > Communicating Culture. Culture Shifts and the Transformation of Politics. > Digital Cities. > Global E-Quality. E-Development. > Internet and society. What is New about the New Media. > Societal and political impact of Mobile communications. > Politics and the Internet. Politics in Mediatized Cultures. > Computer mediated Communications. Political Communication and Public > Spheres. > Informatics for Education. Computer Mediated Education. The e-literate > society. > Networking Schools, Universities and Communities. > Citizenship in the Information Society. Citizenship, New Media and > Political Action. > Informatics, Voting and Political Parties > Informatics and Political Campaigns. > Online Campaigning. On-line Polling. Political Advertising. > Leaders, Elections and Parties and New Media. Informational Power. > E-democracy and E-participation. Democracy and New Media. > The effects of mobile communication on public participation and > political mobilization. > Political Information. > Informatics And Government > Electronic Government. Web-Enabled Government. Local E-government. > Telematics for Development. Telematics as Agent of Social Change. > Open Source for National and Local eGovernment Programs. > Citizens and Public Administration in the Information Age. > Open Source for National and Local eGovernment Programs. > Political Forces shaping Innovations and Diffusion of Information and > Communication Technologies. Information Politics. The Politics of Inf. > E-administration. E-public services. Web Self-Service in the Public > Sector. > E-Gov. Information Assurance. > Process Models and Software for E-democracy. E-communities. > Software for Dialog and Argumentation. > Intergovernmental Informatics. > Citizens and Governance in an Open Knowledge-Based Society. > E-reality and E-economy. > Cyberspace Security. > Ethical and Legal Issues related to Informatics > Ethical, Legal and societal Challenges of Cyberspace. > Legal Informatics. > Legal Knowledge and Information Systems. > Cyber-Ethics. Ethical issues in computing and Informatics. > > > * ABSTRACTS AND PAPER DRAFTS SUBMISSION FORM > > Papers might be submitted via web page > http://www.confinf.org/Pista03/WebSite2003/Submission.asp, as extended > abstracts (500-2000 words) or as full papers drafts (2000-5000 words). > > Reviews will be done for both kinds of submissions. > > Invited Sessions proposals can be done filling the form given in the web > page http://www.confinf.org/Pista03/InvitedSession2003/organizer.asp > > More information about Invited Sessions Organization could be found at the > web http://www.confinf.org/Pista03/WebSite2003/ISOrganization.asp > > > * IMPORTANT DATES > > June 15, 2003: Submission of extended abstracts (500-1500) words or paper > drafts (2000-5000) words. > > June 15, 2003: Invited session proposals. > > June 25, 2003: Notifications of Acceptance. > > July 05, 2003: Submission of final versions: hard copies and electronic > versions. > > July 31, 2003: Conference Starts > > August 2, 2003: Conference Ends > > Some invited sessions might have a different timetable according to its > organizer and chair > > > * PAPERS REVIEWING AND PUBLICATION > > Submitted papers will be reviewed. Accepted papers, which should not exceed > six single-spaced typed pages, will be published by means of paper and > electronic > proceedings. Authors of accepted papers must sign a copyright release form. > > > * REGISTRATION FEES > > The registration fees will be $290 before the deadline, and $340 after the > deadline. > > This fee will include exclusively: > > * A CD-ROM version of the Proceedings > * One volume of the hard copy version of the Conference Proceedings. > * Coffee breaks > * Welcome Reception > > Each registration fee might include just one paper, which presentation will > be included in the conference program and published in the conference > proceedings. > > > * AUDIOVISUAL EQUIPMENT > > The only audiovisual equipment provided for most meetings will be an > overhead projector and a screen. Video projection or any other equipment, > if needed, will have to be supplied by the presenter. > > > * CONFERENCE CONTACT > > Details can be found at the Conference web page: > http://www.confinf.org/Pista03 > > Answers to specific questions can also be requested by e-mail: > > pista(a)confinf.org > sec.pista@ confinf.org > > We are looking forward to meeting you at Pista '03 conference, in Orlando. > > Organizing Committee > ---- > > ****** Message from InterScan E-Mail VirusWall NT ****** > > ** No virus found in attached file noname.htm > > This is virus free message scanned by Zyberway > ***************** End of message *************** >

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FLOSS... and the digital divide
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 08 Jun '03

08 Jun '03

"DOES FLOSS (Free/Libre and Opne Source Software) offer developing countries any significant alternative in addressing crucial problems, such as the alleviation of poverty, the democratization of society, the reduction of literacy, confilict reduction, access to knowledge, dealing with natural calamities and other emergencies, etc? Does FLOSS have the potential to help bridge the digital divide? "In our view, the answer to most of the above questions is a definite YES, but without attributing some magic-wand status to any technology, especially Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), including FLOSS." -- Niranjan Rajani, in the introduction to his study 'Free as in Education: Significance of Free/Libre and Open Source Software for Developing Countries' For details contact niranjan dot rajani at maailma dot net (online versions available) -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick Noronha (FN) | http://www.fredericknoronha.net Freelance Journalist | http://www.bytesforall.org http://goalinks.pitas.com | http://joingoanet.shorturl.com http://linuxinindia.pitas.com | http://www.livejournal.com/users/goalinks ------------------------------------------------------------------------- T: 0091.832.2409490 or 2409783 M: 0 9822 122436 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

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PHP vs. ASP .NET
by Amol Hatwar 07 Jun '03

07 Jun '03

I recently came across this article defending PHP against ASP .NET. Pretty interesting stuff. :) Must read for pedagogues, purists and pundits. Here's the link: http://blogs.phparch.com/index.php?m=200305#128 P.S. PHP5 is something to be watched. I guess it'll break the mold once again! Cheers, Amol Hatwar.

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IBM offers free-of-cost GNU/Linux kit
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 07 Jun '03

07 Jun '03

---------- Forwarded message ---------- IBM offers free Linux kit IBM is offering a free beer 4 CD evaluation set of middleware for Linux including the DB2 database, WebSphere tools, Lotus Domino and other applications. The Linux Software Evaluation Kit comes with tech support, and there are also free two-day seminars taking place around the world this month to support the release. The European event is taking place in Paris next week on Wednesday the 11 and Thursday the 12. http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/offers/linux-speed-start/ _______________________________________________

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FSF mentioned in The Register
by Venky Hariharan 05 Jun '03

05 Jun '03

FSF is mentioned here. Venky http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/30991.html We've seen the future, Indian Prez tells Gates - and you're not in it By Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco Posted: 03/06/2003 at 03:19 GMT Each year, while Bill Gates parties at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Richard M Stallman makes a trip to Porto Alegre. Stallman takes part in discussions on alternatives to globalization, US-style, at the World Social Forum. His travel choice appears to be paying off. Last week Indian President Dr Abdul Kalam called for a halt to the "devastating" impact of proprietary software. He revealed that he had what he called "differences" with the Microsoft founder when the two met last November. "The most unfortunate thing is that India still seems to believe in proprietary solutions," said President Kalam. "Further spread of IT, which is influencing the daily life of individuals, will have a devastating effect on the lives of society due to any small shift in the business practice involving these proprietary solutions. It is precisely for these reasons open source software needs to be built which will be cost effective for the entire society." ""It is precisely for these reasons open source software need to be built which would be cost effective for the entire society. In India, open source code software will have to come and stay in a big way for the benefit of our billion people." Kalam led India's missile program and was elected President by India's national MPs and state assemblies last July. Reflecting on the reaction to India's missile technology innovations, Kalam has remarked, "It is really amusing that the Americans think that it is only with their technology that India can succeed." Pledge Not for the first time, Gates was following in Stallman's footsteps. Both visited India last Fall. In November, Microsoft pledged $400 million of investment in the world's largest democracy, including an education scheme that involves Microsoft software, a move criticized by the Free Software Foundation Of India. In response to some skeptical questioning from the Indian press about the investments, Gates had this to say:- "It is only because of Microsoft's approach that the computer industry has become a worldwide industry." And he probably believes it, too. In Bill's model of globalization, he is the world. ®

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A Cure for What Ails Microsoft
by Soundara Rajan N.S. 04 Jun '03

04 Jun '03

A Cure for What Ails Microsoft By Jay Wrolstad NewsFactor Network June 2, 2003 Microsoft must be cautious in delivering any code to the open-source community. "They have spent billions developing their software, and they don't want to give away the crown jewels," said Yankee Group senior analyst Laura DiDio. _________________________________________________________________ No longer able to dismiss out of hand the attacks coming from all directions -- or to counterattack with impunity -- Microsoft may be well advised to extend an olive branch to the open-source community, say some industry analysts. It is no secret that open-source software is gaining ground on the server, on the desktop, and in PDAs and next-generation phones. Given the vast array of tools and the network of applications developers at its disposal, said Forrester Research analyst Ted Schadler, Microsoft could generate increased interest and revenue by assuming a more giving attitude. First, it could make its common-language runtime (CLR) more widely available. Embracing the Mono project designed to replicate the NET framework on Linux also could be a smart move. Beyond the Desktop Schadler told NewsFactor that the development-focused benefits of the Microsoft architecture are still a strong lure for buyers. "The company has a tremendous ability to build tools for application development and is the best at helping developers build easy-to-use applications quickly," he said. The challenge now is to move beyond the PC and notebook to build new software that connects the desktop to phones and handhelds. "Microsoft needs to get its software on as many devices as possible, not just the operating system," Schadler said. To compete in the Java world, which is where many of these devices are, he said, the company could take advantage of open source by offering some of the lower layers of the CLR to that community and make it easier to port their software. "It's a proliferation strategy, and once their technology is out in the open, Microsoft can then sell more development tools and support services," said the analyst said. Cautious Approach Yankee Group senior analyst Laura DiDio, agrees, up to a point. "Microsoft cannot adopt a bunker mentality, or aggressively attack open source, because open source is not going away," she told NewsFactor. "And the company is providing ammunition to those who consider it the evil empire out to preserve its monopoly status." But Microsoft must be cautious in delivering any code to the open-source community. "They have spent billions developing their software, and they don't want to give away the crown jewels," DiDio said. For handhelds and phones, there could be an advantage in releasing some of its CLR, as long as some controls are established, she suggested. A potential problem with this strategy is that if the code were released, there could eventually be as many versions of Windows and .NET as there are of Linux. "They should offer just enough to enable interoperability," DiDio cautioned. Shared Knowledge One concern for Microsoft is that it only supports its own platform and has shown little inclination to consider other standards, said Forrester analyst Stacey Quandt. "It would be to their advantage to embrace more applications developers, including those in open source," she told NewsFactor. Microsoft already has a shared-source initiative enabling systems integrators to modify some of the company's software for handheld devices. The company knows that a growing number of its customers are leaning toward alternative platforms, such as Linux, and it therefore has to consider supporting other operating systems as replacements for Windows in new devices, Quandt said. The Mono Factor Then there is the Mono project, sponsored by software firm Ximian and designed as an open source, Linux-based version of Microsoft's .NET Web-services development platform. Microsoft is keeping a close eye on the project, says Forrester's Schadler. It would enable .NET to run on virtually any operating system. "If their architecture is out there, Microsoft ultimately wins, because they still own the servers, tools and channel relationships," he said. "Microsoft is interested in this because they want to keep all of their options open." Mono could be a hedge strategy for Microsoft, DiDio agreed, but she pointed out that there has not yet been a stampede toward Linux. A Yankee Group study reports that only 7 percent of server users have adopted the platform, and just 3.5 percent of organizations plan to install Linux on the desktop. Bridges To Build Microsoft could relinquish some Mono project secrets, DiDio said, but may be reluctant to do so since the Linux community has yet to satisfactorily define ownership of the platform. Quandt is not so sure. "I don't see them jumping on [the Mono project], she said, because it undercuts their Windows business." The bottom line is that Microsoft needs to forge some bridges with the open-source community, said DiDio. "It has become a case of 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em,'" she said. ===============================================================

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Volunteers needed for GNU/Linux workshops in kerala
by Sajith V K 04 Jun '03

04 Jun '03

"Freedom matters" Hi, "Kudumbasree", a movement of women in Kerala plans to conduct GNU/Linux workshop for its members, in all 14 districts in Kerala during 2nd and 3rd week of June. It will be a 2day workshop including two demonstration sessions and two hands-on training sessions. We need to make a list of persons in all districts who can help. If you can, please mail me back. Expense will be paid. Arrangement of Venue and facilities will be handled by "Kudumbasree". ------------Regards SajithVK------------------- _________________________________________________________________ Attention NRIs! Send money to India. http://server1.msn.co.in/msnleads/citibankrca/citibankrca2.asp Do it in a jiffy!

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SITEWATCH: Perl-mongers ... from South Africa
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 04 Jun '03

04 Jun '03

This initiative welcomes involvement from India and elsewhere. Thanks to Nico Coetzee for the link. FN URL : http://za.pm.org za.pm.org - perl mongers of south africa Contents [1]home [2]about za.pm.org [3]mailing list Perl Links [4]Perl.org [5]CPAN - search page [6]Google's Perl Groups Perl Mongers [7]pm.org 2003-06-01 Ok, it's the start of a new month, and I think we have reached the point where we can actually start to do things :) At this stage I want to propose the following: we decide on certain focus areas, and based on a 'call for papers' style of working, we get some volunteer articles on a subject matter, and then publish the papers on this site, for discussion on the mailing list - together with any other usual questions you might have, of course. I see it go something like this: we decide which topics should be focused on in the medium term ( next 3 to 4 months or so ). Who ever feels they want to, can then write a short 'article' or tech-paper on the topic, and mail it directly to me. I will publish it on this site, and post a general announcement to the list. The list members then read the paper/article, and we discuss it on the list. After a couple of months/weeks I will archive those discussions separately from the main archive. In that way we build up a resource that even newbies can start to use. Please join us on the mailing list, and give your opinions on this idea. 2003-05-17 WOW ! The marketing paid off this week, and we are now 40 odd members strong. This is a bit more than I expected - but who's complaining :) From 20 May to 27 May 2003 I will be away for a [8]Open Source Seminar in Helsinki. Subscribers and new members - behave! 2003-05-11 I have started some PR, at this stage mainly on the GLUG Mailing list. I reckon there should be sufficient Perl interest in the local Linux community to boost our numbers. We have up to now only 7 subscribed users. Please people - help me get the word out! 2003-03-23 It seems there is life here afterall :) Anyway, still not much new around here. At this stage we have the mailing list ready and the basic site structure, so we can start to market this site now. Please familiarize yourself with our [9]aim, goals and objectives before you subscribe to our mailing list, or before you recommend us to a friend. Well, that's all for now. The updates on this site will be slow and low volume as most will happen on this mailing list. I am looking forward to see you there ! 2003-03-10 This site will shortly evolve in a comprehensive Perl resource for south africans. in the mean time you may join our mailing list here: [10]http://mail.pm.org/mailman/listinfo/za-pm see you around... Copyright � 2003. All rights reserved. [11]za.pm.org nico coetzee [ nico at itfirms dot co dot za ] References 1. http://za.pm.org/index.html 2. http://za.pm.org/about.html 3. http://mail.pm.org/mailman/listinfo/za-pm 4. http://www.perl.org/ 5. http://search.cpan.org/ 6. http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Programming/Languages/Perl/?tc=1 7. http://www.pm.org/ 8. http://www.itfirms.co.za/research.html 9. http://za.pm.org/about.html 10. http://mail.pm.org/mailman/listinfo/za-pm 11. http://za.pm.org/index.html

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Fsf-friends June 2003