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LINUX GAZETTE

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"Linux Gazette...making Linux just a little more fun!"


News Bytes

Contents:

Selected and formatted by Michael Conry

Submitters, send your News Bytes items in PLAIN TEXT format. Other formats may be rejected without reading. You have been warned! A one- or two-paragraph summary plus URL gets you a better announcement than an entire press release.


 July 2001 Linux Journal

The July issue of Linux Journal is on newsstands now. This issue focuses on Program Development. Click here to view the table of contents, or here to subscribe.

All articles through December 1999 are available for public reading at http://www.linuxjournal.com/lj-issues/mags.html. Recent articles are available on-line for subscribers only at http://interactive.linuxjournal.com/.


Distro News


 SuSE

SuSE Linux 7.2 is Available from June 15th. More details on the SuSE products page

In further news, SuSE have announced that SuSE Linux has been validated for Oracle9i Database..


News in General


 Upcoming conferences and events

Listings courtesy Linux Journal. See LJ's Events page for the latest goings-on.

Enterprise Linux Insititute Conference
July 3-5, 2001
London, UK
http://www.elxi.co.uk

Linux Expo Exhibition
July 4-5, 2001
London, UK
http://www.linuxexpo.co.uk

Internet World Summer
July 10-12, 2001
Chicago, IL
http://www.internetworld.com

O'Reilly Open Source Convention
July 23-27, 2001
San Diego, CA
http://conferences.oreilly.com

10th USENIX Security Symposium
August 13-17, 2001
Washington, D.C.
http://www.usenix.org/events/sec01/

HunTEC Technology Expo & Conference
Hosted by Hunstville IEEE
August 17-18, 2001
Huntsville, AL
URL unkown at present

Computerfest
August 25-26, 2001
Dayton, OH
http://www.computerfest.com

LinuxWorld Conference & Expo
August 27-30, 2001
San Francisco, CA
http://www.linuxworldexpo.com

Red Hat TechWorld Brussels
September 17-18, 2001
Brussels, Belgium
http://www.europe.redhat.com/techworld

The O'Reilly Peer-to-Peer Conference
September 17-20, 2001
Washington, DC
http://conferences.oreilly.com/p2p/call_fall.html

Linux Lunacy
Co-Produced by Linux Journal and Geek Cruises

Send a Friend LJ and Enter to Win a Cruise!
October 21-28, 2001
Eastern Caribbean
http://www.geekcruises.com

LinuxWorld Conference & Expo
October 30 - November 1, 2001
Frankfurt, Germany
http://www.linuxworldexpo.de

5th Annual Linux Showcase & Conference
November 6-10, 2001
Oakland, CA
http://www.linuxshowcase.org/

Strictly e-Business Solutions Expo
November 7-8, 2001
Houston, TX
http://www.strictlyebusinessexpo.com

LINUX Business Expo
Co-located with COMDEX
November 12-16, 2001
Las Vegas, NV
http://www.linuxbusinessexpo.com

15th Systems Administration Conference/LISA 2001
December 2-7, 2001
San Diego, CA
http://www.usenix.org/events/lisa2001


 Making Kernel Configuration (More) Fun

In a move sure to warm the hearts of those who believe in Linux Gazette's motto of "making Linux just a little bit more fun!", Eric Raymond has added a new interface to the Linux kernel configuration system. This one is reminiscent of Zork and those adventure games:

Welcome to CML2 Adventure, version 1.6.1.
You are in a maze of twisty little Linux kernel options
menus, all different.

The main room. A sign reads `Linux Kernel Configuration System'. Passages lead off in all directions.

n

The arch room. A sign reads `Processor type'. A passage leads upwards.

Choose your processor architecture. A brass lantern is here. There is a row of buttons on the wall of this room. They read: X86, ALPHA, SPARC32, SPARC64, MIPS32, MIPS64, PPC, M68K, ARM, SUPERH, IA64, PARISC, S390, S390X, CRIS The button marked X86 is pressed.

Courtesy Linux Weekly News. A copy of Eric's original e-mail is here.


 Tridia

Tridia Corporation has an ambitious marketing plan that pits its open source remote access hybrids head to head with industry leader Symantec. This is the beginning of a strategic marketing campaign to introduce the logical benefits of Tridia Corporation's open source hybrids over its closed source competitors. Among other platforms, TridiaVNC runs on Linux, and is a useful eSupport tool for Linux, in particular in mixed OS environments. Three announcements are planned beginning with a FREE TridiaVNC (virtual network computing) downloads promotion that's linked to a contest. The TridiaVNC econtest runs for 180 days, from 5/23/01 thru 11/23/01.


 Linux in Life Sciences

IBM is aiming to use integrated Linux-based technologies enable life sciences companies to speed the process of managing and sharing the staggering amounts of data being generated by contemporary research in experimental biology.

On May 29th, IBM and Devgen, a Belgium-based biotechnology company, announced an agreement to deploy IBM technology and Linux solutions to accelerate the drug development process. Devgen's informatics system includes a Linux supercluster, consisting of 20 IBM eServer xSeries servers and 2 pSeries servers. The high-performance system will conduct genetic research on a microscopic roundworm (C. elegans) to identify validated drug targets and in vivo active compounds. By studying this transparent worm, Devgen researchers can better understand gene interactions in humans that trigger chemical reactions in cells and cause diseases, and narrow the search for medical treatments.

Linux is a key factor in solving a variety of demanding life sciences challenges, including: Unravelling protein interactions - protein function is one of the most computationally intensive problems in the world of research today. Deciphering the interaction of more than one million proteins requires 1,000 times more compute power and generates 100 times more data. Understanding protein folding - the way proteins fold into geometrical shapes allows them to perform their biological functions. It would take around 300 years, using today's most powerful computer, to calculate the folding process for even a very small protein. High performance Linux computing power allows researchers to unravel the protein folding process. Drug discovery and development process - new drugs often cost upwards of $500 million to develop and test, and between ten and fifteen years to approve. New information technologies like Linux are rapidly becoming a major factor in reducing these costs.


 Linux NetworX Announces Support For AMD's Multiprocessor Architecture

Linux NetworX, a leading provider of powerful and easy-to-manage Linux cluster computing solutions, announced today support through its Evolocity cluster systems for the new AMD Athlon MP processor and the AMD-760 MP multiprocessing chipset. Evolocity is a cluster solution, which incorporates computational hardware with Linux NetworX cluster management software called ClusterWorX.


 GNU-Linuxfest

Galax, Virginia, will host the third annual Linuxfest on July 14, 2001. Linuxfest has traditionally celebrated Linux, the alternative operating system. Linuxfest this year will offer entertainment, food and Linux related demonstrations which include Satellite Internet and the new Mandrake OS, as well as servers, KDE, Gnome, Afterstep, Quick Cams and audio recording. There will be space to sell and swap and some great door prizes. This year's Linuxfest will be held on Grayson Street in Galax; and will be the first street fest in the history of the event. Attendees may register at the event's website at www.gnu-linuxfest.com.


 Freenet

Linux Journal has an article about freenet. The Freenet FAQ has further information. Freenet is a network application for sharing information (like the Web), but without using centralised servers (like Usenet or Gnutella). The upshot is that on Freenet it's difficult for governments and free-speech haters to track where the information resides, who inserted it, and who's requesting it. The application is still in its alpha stage; many features are still in the discussion or research stages.


 "Linux 3D Graphics Programming" Book Available

The book Linux 3D Graphics Programming is now available for purchase. The book aims to give a reader who has little or no 3D graphics experience, a well-rounded understanding of the fundamental theoretical and practical concepts involved in programming real-time 3D graphics applications using freely available tools under Linux. Topics include the X Window System, OpenGL/Mesa, 2D screen access and rasterization, hardware acceleration, and 3D vision and perception. A tutorial explains how to create 3D models using Blender, a 3D modeller included on the companion CD.


 UKLinux ISP

uklinux.net is a free (no subscription charges) Linux ISP for the UK. The service features include:

Services such as mail and FTP access are conditional upon accessing the Internet via uklinux's dial in access numbers which are charged at UK local rate. If you want to access your e-mail, or FTP your site via another ISP you will need to upgrade your membership.

Also, all the profits from uklinux go to funding Open Source/Free Software.


 Linux Journal web articles

These articles are available at the Linux Journal web site; they are not in the magazine. (You can also go to the no-frames site if you don't like frames or want minimal graphics.)


 Linux Focus

The following articles are in the July-August issue of the multilingual ezine Linux Focus.


 Linux Links

The Duke of URL has posted:

firstLinux.com have a review of Linux chess interfaces.

Stop the presses! RMS Says Free Software Is Good. Slashdot readers respond "Dog Bites Man", "Sky Blue".

Asian characters and why Unicode is inadequate

Linux forklifts in the data warehouse

Some more FUD from Microsoft (MS Word format). Courtesy Linux Weekly News. In a further twist Slashdot reported that Mr. Bill Gates believes that Linux is a like PacMan.

Finally, another Slashdot story, looking at David A. Wheeler's analysis of the true size of Linux. See the reaction here


Software Announcements


 SAP and Linux on the ZSeries

Macro 4 has announced support for Linux on the new S/390 eServer ZSeries for its SAP certified output management solution. By running Macro 4's solution with SAP and Linux on the IBM platform, users can take advantage of the space, energy and cost savings of the latest e-business mainframe technology and be assured of dependable output across a distributed network. Large SAP implementations require many SAP application servers and it is not atypical for a sizeable company to run as many as 150 instances of SAP at once. Organisations can simplify their IT systems by moving the SAP application servers to one ZSeries box with each application running on an instance of Linux. But they still have to manage output from all of these applications. UniQPrint gives users a single point of control for cross-platform enterprise printing from an IBM eServer ZSeries platform running Linux and assures the delivery of documents from point of origin to any output destination, be it print, fax, e-mail, or Web site.


 Workstation Solutions Announces New Quick Restore Data Protection Software for Linux Users

Workstation Solutions have announced new Linux and Windows platform support for its Quick Restore backup and recovery software. This broadened platform support extends the quick implementation, easy operation, and comprehensive scope of Quick Restore across Microsoft Windows 2000, UNIX, and Linux operating environments. The company also announced new Quick Restore features to improve performance, extend firewall support, control DLT tape format, and support newly available tape libraries from leading vendors.


 mnoGoSearch Search Engine Version 3.1.14 Released

The new version 3.1.14 of mnoGoSearch free Open Source search engine software for intranet and web servers is available from mnoGoSearch website. With the new version the 3.1.x branch is declared stable and it includes various enhancements and fixes, as documented in the ChangeLog. mnoGoSearch runs on Linux and other *nix OS'es.


 Micro Sharp Technology: Netule

Micro Sharp Technology, a provider of thin server solutions have announced the release of Netule Web Module I (WM-I) and Netule eMail Module I (EM-I). EM-I and WM-I are based on Linux, an extremely powerful, stable and reliable UNIX like operating system. Linux is easy to upgrade and offers a true multi-tasking solution. EM-I is a robust, thin server solution that allows users to simply, predictably and cost effectively meet eMail server needs in a shorter period of time. WM-I is intended to meet users' web server requirements in a similar manner. Each module comes with all the hardware and software needed to plug in and get started.


 Other Software

Internet Exchange Messaging Server (IEMS) 5, the latest messaging solution from developer International Messaging Associates, will be released June 12, 2001. IEMS 5 runs on Linux Red Hat, Caldera, VA Linux, Turbo Linux Server, Suse, Mandrake, and Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows NT.


Aladdin Systems, have announced a new licensing initiative - the StuffIt OneSource Volume License Program. StuffIt natively supports Macintosh, Windows, Linux and Solaris Unix platforms. With StuffIt, users can choose to easily manage their favourite file types, such as .zip, .sit, .rar, .tar, .gzip and many others.


Advanced Management Solutions, supplier of tools for project and resource management claim that AMS Realtime is the first and only non-browser based Project Management software available for Linux. This software is a Linux port of Advanced Management Solutions' application AMS REALTIME Projects. LINUX users can now try out this fully functional Linux version through a special free trial offer.


Copyright © 2001, Michael Conry and the Editors of Linux Gazette.
Copying license http://www.linuxgazette.net/copying.html
Published in Issue 68 of Linux Gazette, July 2001
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