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

Contents: News in General Software Announcements

September 1999 Linux Journal

The September issue of Linux Journal will be hitting the newsstands in mid-August. This issue focuses on "cooking with Linux": fun things we can do with Linux, or how we can achieve our computing goals while still having a good time.

Linux Journal now has articles that appear "Strictly On-Line". Check out the Table of Contents at http://www.linuxjournal.com/issue65/index.html for articles in this issue as well as links to the on-line articles.

To subscribe to Linux Journal, go to http://www.linuxjournal.com/subscribe/ljsubsorder.html.

For Subcribers Only: Linux Journal archives are now available on-line at http://interactive.linuxjournal.com/

Volunteer bike ride to promote Linux

My name is Karl Pena .

I am an athlete. I've been addicted to linux for two years or more now.

I want to invite you to share in my project. I just graduated Sarah Lawrence College (where my colleagues and I learned linux to set up a student-run server: http://raptor.slc.edu). I am deeply involved in the non-profit ideals, and have coordinated major special events for various different organizations.

Linux Demo Day is coming up in September. This is a very exciting time for me and for linux, and I am going to give something back to the community.

I am planning a special journey, on bike, to spread the word on the beauty of Linux.

I would love to post something on your site, or advertise a paragraph in your magazine. I am low on cash, so I can't pay you right now. I just need a few sentences to invite any riders/hackers who want to be part of my epic journey, to come along. I can use donations, team-members, PR volunteers, co-grant writers, and sponsors.

[I sent him e-mail and it bounced. I hope he reads this and sends in a contact address, and that he finds the support and sponsorship he needs. Good luck, Karl. -Ed.

Amiga to use Linux kernel, rumors of Transmeta connection

Amiga's CEO announced that the next generation of the Amiga Operating Environment (OE) will be based on the Linux kernel. In other words, the Amiga is about to become a Linux box. But it will have special drivers for the Amiga's multimedia hardware.
http://www.amiga.com/diary/executive/tech_brief1st.html

Soon afterwards, the Transmeta logo was spotted at an Amiga conference. Rumors are flying about a possible Linux kernel-on-a-chip (allowing e.g., the entire kernel memory in cache). Of course, Transmeta continues to keep mum about what its plans are.
http://www.metamiga.com
http://63.193.115.27/amiga/

TurboLinux outsells Win98 and MacOS in Japan

"TOKYO, July 27-In a mark of the rising open source-code movement, TurboLinux has outsold the upgraded version of Microsoft's Windows 98 operating system and the Mac OS in Japan for the past three weeks, according to a market research company..."

Read the entire story at http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9907/27/linux/index.htm

The rest is from a TurboLinux press release:

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - July 26, 1999 -TurboLinux, the leader in high-performance Linux, today announced that its newly released TurboLinux Workstation J 4.0 product was the best selling operating system in Japan, beating Microsoft Windows 98 and all other Linux operating systems in retail sales. In results released by Business Computer News, a market research company that analyzed sales at over 200 major computer stores throughout Japan, TurboLinux J 4.0 outsold every other individual OS product in the Japanese retail channel in its first week, including Windows 98 and other commercial Linux packages.

TurboLinux continues to consolidate its dominant position in the Pacific ic Rim, and the success of our TurboLinux J 4.0 product is indicative of our commitment to being a leading provider of high-quality Linux solutions,=94 said Cliff Miller, president and CEO of TurboLinux. The new TurboLinux J 4.0, launched the first week of July, gathered an impressive 24.09% market share, outstripping Windows 98 (9.15%), Macintosh OS 8.5 J (10.23%) as well as other commercial Linux distributions by a resounding margin, according to Business Computer News. In addition to the impressive sales totals for its first week, TurboLinux J 4.0 recently received a rare five-star rating in a review from PC Computi ng Japan, the publication's highest possible "extremely outstanding" rating. While the combined sales of all Windows 98 products including upgrades ee below) topped TurboLinux J 4.0 sales, the numbers clearly highlight TurboLinux's impressive presence and acceptance rates in the Japanese OS market.

Results from Business Computer News are as follows:

TurboLinux is currently ramping up its U.S operations at its San Francisco headquarters and has, in recent months, forged key alliances with IBM and Computer Associates in a bid to extend its reach beyond the Pacific Rim into the North American Linux market.

English web site: http://www.turbolinux.com
Japanese web site: http://www.pht.co.jp

Penguin Quad Xeon Linux systems -- 550 MHz

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 -- Penguin Computing announced today that it has become the first company to offer Quad Xeon systems utilizing Intel 550 Mhz Processors. The Quad Xeons, like all Penguin Computers, run only Linux and are now the fastest Quad Xeon systems available.

http://www.penguincomputing.com

Benchmark specialist invites Microsoft and Red Hat to a rematch

Chicago, IL -(June 1999) - Neal Nelson, benchmark guru and founder of the world's largest independent client/server testing facility, has extended an invitation to Microsoft and Red Hat to participate in an open, public performance comparison between hot operating system rivals Windows NT and Linux.

Nelson issued the invitation as a result of a recently published study sponsored by Microsoft.* One of the conclusions of the study is that "Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 is 2.5 times faster than Linux as a File Server and 3.7 times faster as a Web Server."

*Study conducted by Mindcraft, Inc., a software testing company based in Los Gatos, CA.

Many have questioned the test results because different tuning levels were used for NT than those used with Linux. For example, NT was tested with NT tuning, benchmarking and technical support from Microsoft, as well as Internet Information Server 4.0 tuning information from the Standard Performance Evaluation Corp.

Linux however, received almost no additional tuning, support or involvement from Linux-based technical sources. The testing lab cited difficulty in obtaining tuning information from Linux knowledge bases, and a query with Red Hat ended up going through the wrong channels.

The Pia: a $199 Linux-based personal Internet appliance

(From a story by Stephen Shanklan, CNET News.com, July 6, 1999)

Ebiz Enterprises and its Linux Store unit have released what they call the Pia, a $199 device that will be marketed through Internet service providers. Prodigy, one of the Internet's oldest service providers, has already signed up to promote the Pia, which stands for Personal Internet Appliance.

The online service sees Linux, a rebel open-source operating system, as a good way to power either cheap Internet appliances or servers at the center of high-speed home computer networks, Prodigy chief technology officer Bill Kirkner said today. "This provides a very effective, low-cost alternative," Kirkner said....

In the longer term, Ebiz is planning to sell its Pia device bundled with Internet access for about $20 a month for two years, Rassas said. Prodigy wouldn't comment on whether it was pursuing such a deal with Ebiz, but a spokesman said the company is "working on expanding the relationship."...

The article also says sources have reported that America Online is evaluating a cheap Linux computer.

Keynote speakers for the Open Source Software Convention

Sebastopol, CA--O'Reilly & Associates announces the keynote speakers for the Open Source Software Convention, to be held in Monterey, CA, August 21-24. Keynoters are:

Guy Kawasaki, CEO and Chairman, Garage.com
"Rules For Revolutionaries--Some Practical Advice for the Open-Source
Movement"
Monday, August 23rd, 9am
Guy is the former chief evangelist of Apple Computer. He is a columnist
at Forbes Magazine and author of seven books.

Bill Joy, Chief Scientist, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
"From BSD to Jini: Adventures in Technology, Openness, and Community"
Tuesday, August 24th, 9 am
Bill is a co-founder of Sun and a member of the Executive Committee.
He was the principal designer of Berkeley UNIX (BSD).

"The Open Source movement is clearly at a turning point. The question is which way will it turn--toward mass acceptance or toward a more limited impact. Our convention keynoters are in unique positions to comment on this turning point, offering insights on where Open Source has been and where it needs to go," said Joseph McIntyre, O'Reilly's Director of Conferences.

The Open Source Software Convention is a landmark gathering of the open source community. It features six concurrent technical conferences, covered under one registration fee. Participants may stay within a single conference to get maximum exposure to a technology, or they may attend any combination of presentations throughout all six conferences. The conferences include:

• The Perl Conference 3.0
• The Linux Conference
• The Apache Conference
• The Python Conference
• The sendmail Conference
• The Tcl/Tk Conference

The Open Source Software Convention features over 120 presentations and 40 tutorials spanning four days, led by luminaries of the Open Source community such as Larry Wall, Guido van Rossum, John Ousterhout, Eric Allman, Eric Raymond, Kalle Dalheimer, Matt Welsh, Michael Tiemann, Tom Christensen, Randal Schwartz, Lincoln Stein, Doug MacEachern, David Ascher, Dick Hardt, Nancy Walsh, and Simson Garfinkel.

Further information and registration is at http://conferences.oreilly.com or 1-888-844-7024. For exhibition opportunities, contact John Dockery at [email protected].

Red Hat Announces Nationwide Training

Durham, N.C.--July 13, 1999--Red Hat, Inc., a leading developer and provider of Linux-based operating system (OS) solutions, today announced that Global Knowledge, the world92s largest independent IT training company, will provide Red Hat92s hands-on, real-world training and certification nationwide for Red Hat Linux, including the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) program.

Taught by RHCEs with considerable internetworking experience, Red Hat92s certification program offers more than traditional, multiple-choice written exams and paper certifications.94 RHCE Certification requires success on performance-based practical exams, in which users actually demonstrate the ability to: install and configure Red Hat Linux, set up common network (IP) services, perform essential administration, diagnostic tests and troubleshooting, among other internetworking and systems administration tasks. Red Hat courses are available for the entire RHCE certification track, at levels appropriate for both beginners and networking professionals looking to migrate to open source solutions and build or expand their experience with Linux-based operating systems.

Under the partnership, Global Knowledge will begin offering Red Hat Linux courses in 15 cities nationwide. The first courses will be available starting in September 1999. Information on these courses, which are the same highly successful offerings currently taught at Red Hat92s North Carolina headquarters, is posted at http://www.redhat.com/corp/products_training.html and http://www.am.globalknowledge.com.

Press release from Eklektix - those Linux Educators in the Rockies

Boulder, Colorado USA July 13, 1999 -- Eklektix has announced their September 93Linux Training for Professional s94 public class schedule. Building on successful classes since 1998 and a sell out public class in June Eklektix delivers Linux training for professions taught by engineers with real operating experience.

Eklektix92s first "Linux System Administration for Unix Administrators" classes will be taught in Boulder, Colorado USA September 20-21, 1999 and Septemb er 22-23, 1999. By assuming familiarity with the basic material, this course is able to delve deeply into the issues that are truly Linux-specific in just two intense days.

Eklektix92s weeklong "Linux System Administration" class is offered Sept ember 13-17 in Boulder, Colorado USA. This hands-on course covers all aspects o f the management of Linux systems, with an emphasis on the integration of Linux systems into larger, heterogeneous networks.

Full information for Eklektix92s public and on site classes including de tailed class outlines, prices, faculty biographies and more are available through http://training.eklektix.com.

Rebel.com unveils the NetWinder Office Server

COMDEX, Toronto, ON - July 14, 1999 - Rebel.com Inc., a leading supplier of Linux, UNIX and Windows NT enterprise solutions, today unveiled the NetWinder(tm) Office Server, the newest addition to their suite of NetWinder Internet server appliances.

"The NetWinder Office Server is an office-in-a-box for small and medium-sized companies requiring secure Internet and in-house network services such as Web site hosting, Web access, file sharing, printer sharing and e-mail," said Michael Mansfield, president, Rebel.com. "With its straightforward set-up and ease of use, the Office Server provides all the tools required to ensure effective communications throughout an organization, in one affordable and high-performing package."

The NetWinder Office Server provides a full suite of Internet and intranet network services, including:

* Flexible Internet connection via an external dialup, cable or DSL modem,
or by a serial ISDN terminal adaptor. Web caching speeds up Internet access.
* IP Masquerading and Proxy Server features, which reduce ISP costs and
improve security, and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol makes
administration easier to facilitate.
* Web authoring, hosting and publishing, with integrated support for
HTTP/1.1, Common Gateway Interface (CGI) and Perl Scripting.
* E-mail services supporting POP3 and IMAP4 mail protocols, including
automatic forwarding of messages and mail filter creation.
* Network Address Translation firewall, Port Forwarding and Virtual Private
Networking features as well as remote access via the Internet with optional
client software.
* Cross-platform file sharing and transfer between the NetWinder Office
Server and users of Linux, Unix, Windows and Apple platforms.
* Document indexing and searching capabilities enable users to organize
documents into categories and assign searchable properties, such as
keywords, to facilitate information access.
* Public and private threaded discussion, allowing workgroup communication
and collaboration.
* Print serving capabilities through the use of an attached printer that can
be used as shared network printer. Several hundred printer types are
supported.
* Detailed technical reporting quickly provides administrators with
statistics about uptime, memory total/used, swap total/used, load averages,
number of TCP connections, number of UDP connections, log files and Web
throughput.

HELIOS supports dual processing on Linux

July 14, 1999 Garbsen, Germany HELIOS Software GmbH announces its network and prepress server software now fully supports multiple processors running the Linux operating system on Pentium-based computers.

HELIOS already supports single-processor computing with its currently shipping CD014. This version contains a bootable Linux runtime based on RedHat 5.2 using the Linux Kernel 2.0.36 to support the HELIOS software applications as well the Linux TCP/IP, NFS, FTP and Web services to serve Macintosh, Windows, UNIX and Internet clients.

For U.S.-based sales information, contact: European Mikrograf Corporation, HELIOS Software GmbH.'s U.S. distributor, located at 269 Mt. Hermon Road, Suite 100, Scotts Valley, CA 95066; 831-461-6061 (voice); 831-461-6056 (fax); Internet: [email protected], http://www.ugraf.com.

Applix announces SmartBeak.com (a Linux support site)

Westboro, MA, July 15, 1999 -- Applix, Inc. (NASDAQ:APLX), a leader in applications for Linux and UNIX markets, announced today that the company has launched a new web site, http://www.SmartBeak.com, to bring together the support and collaboration needs of Open Source Software developers and users.

"We created the SmartBeak.com website to address the need in the Linux and Open Source Software community for a more structured approach to providing knowledge and managing support issues," said Jit Saxena, Chairman and CEO of Applix. "We are seeking to position SmartBeak.com as the website that brings users and developers together in one place and helps them to work together in a collaborative fashion. Futhermore, we believe that usage of this website will help foster the development of Open Source Software applications."

SmartBeak.com users are able to search a knowledge base for documents containing information for solving their issues. The information is made up of How To, Frequently Asked Questions, HTML, and support database texts which SmartBeak.com automatically updates and indexes.

According to Michael Prince, Chief Information Officer, Burlington Coat Factory, "We are preparing to roll out a distributed network of Linux workstations and this project provides us with the challenge of obtaining support for certain components of our solution." He continued, "SmartBeak.com will be a valuable resource for us and our vendors to use as a knowledge base, support and collaboration mechanism."

LinuxPPC, Inc., the leading provider of the Linux operating system for the Macintosh platform, will be the site's first signed software partner. Jason Haas, Webmaster and technical support supervisor at LinuxPPC said, "SmartBeak.com represents an opportunity for us to manage our users' questions and problems, and gives us the ability to route and escalate issues to the developers in the community, many of which are geographically dispersed. In short, we expect that by using SmartBeak.com we'll be significantly improving the support and development of our Linux distribution."

Unlike many other web-based support sites for Open Source Software products, SmartBeak.com provides a problem report entry and tracking system to enable users to post questions or log issues and track their progress. Developers worldwide, responsible for products represented on the SmartBeak.com site are able to access these items, assign or escalate their priority and using SmartBeak.com's workflow engine, assign issues to the appropriate developers within their communities.

For each posted question or problem report that a user creates, a message board system allows other users and developers to collaborate on the resolution of the issues. A user customizable section of the site, called my.SmartBeak.com provides an instant update of the progress of their own issues.

Debian Available Preinstalled on Laptops

[note: This announcement was written by Linux Laptops Ltd.]

San Jose, CA, June 30, 1999 -- The Debian Project has claimed another hardware vendor commitment, this time from Linux Laptops Ltd.

Linux Laptops is the only hardware vendor devoted exclusively to delivering portable computers with Linux software installed and ready to use.

Linux Laptops Ltd. is the Debian Project's second public "win". The first was Corel Corporation's choice in April of the Debian GNU/Linux distribution as the basis of their Corel Linux Desktop.

"We chose the Debian distribution both for its great reliability and for the huge number of application packages the project maintains," says Nathan Myers, Linux Laptops Ltd.'s president. "Our customers leave installing to us, and a graphical installation tool would just get in our way. The Debian Project has concentrated its efforts on reliable operation and easy, safe upgrades, because you only install once, but you live with the software for years after."

Laptops with Debian GNU/Linux pre-installed can be ordered via the company's web site, . 32BitsOnline.com today announced that it has renamed recently acquired Bleeding Edge Magazine to 0x20.com. Press Release to follow:

Bleeding Edge magazine renamed to 0x20.com

Vancouver, BC July 27, 1999 - Medullas Publishing Company, parent company of 32BitsOnline Magazine (www.32bitsonline.com), Linux Applications (www.linuxapps.com) and Linux Talks (www.linuxtalks.com) today announced that it has renamed recently acquired Bleeding Edge Magazine to 0x20.com.

""32BitsOnline Magazine needed a developer site", said Ronny Ko, Editor-in-Chief for 32BitsOnline Magazine, ""and 0x20 fit the requirements well." 0x20.com will serve as not only the Linux community's centre for information exchange but follow 32BitsOnline's vision, 0x20.com will also provide information about programming on other operating systems such as BeOS, OS/2 and all the Unices, added Ko.

""While focused on furthering development of Linux, 0x20.com's main goal is to further the development of Open Source software and cross pollination of freely available source code across all platforms to the BeOS and visa-versa", "said Derek Barber, site administrator for 0x20.com.

0x20.com will be launched early this Fall along with LinuxTalks.com. 0x20.com welcomes developers to contribute. Interested persons should contact Ronny Ko at [email protected].

Medullas Publishing is the parent company for 32BitsOnline Magazine (http://www.32bitsonline.com/) and Linux Applications (http://www.linuxapps.com/).

Linux is #1 in Antarctica

Framingham, MA, July 1999 - Antarctica IT, Inc. announces the first consulting company in New England dedicated to service and support for the Linux operating system and related Open Source software.

"Linux is already in use in many organizations", says Scott Shaw, CEO of Antarctica IT, Inc. "Now IT managers are looking for professional support. We are there to help these businesses with on-site service and with the skills needed to develop custom solutions on the Linux platform."

To learn more about what Linux means to your business, call Antarctica IT at 1-877-DO-LINUX, or visit their web site at www.antarcticait.com.

Morton Bay to discuss embedded Linux platforms at LinuxWorld

Pacific Grove, CA - July 26, 1999--Moreton's chief software wizard, Greg Ungerer is presenting a technical paper at the Linux World Conference in San Jose CA on August 11th 1999. In Greg's paper, Building low cost embedded network appliances with Linux, he presents Linux as the new standard for embedding in internet appliances and internet devices.

The embedded market includes all intelligent electronic appliances that use a microcontroller or microprocessor. There are already ten times more embedded appliances than desktop personal computers in use today, and this number is projected to grow substantially. According to IDC, the global market for information appliances will grow at a 76% compound annual growth rate from 1998-2002.

After the Linux World Conference, Greg will return to Australia to present his Embedded Linux experiences to local linux community at Open Source - AUUG'99 in Melbourne on September 9th 1999.

Linux links

Linux and GNU certification exams by Sair Linux and GNU and Sylvan Prometric: http://www.linuxcertification.com

Bay area recruiter looking for somebody to develop a 2-3 day Linux training course outline:
Woody Garrett, Technical Recruiter, Bryson Myers Co., 2083 Old Middlefield Way Suite 206, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, 650-964-7600 x325, 650-964-7655 Fax, 888-774-3721 Pgr, [email protected]

Ziatech Corporation is offering the source code for its multiprocessing drivers: http://www.compactnet.com/ (Ziatech will showcase the New CompactPCI Linux(tm) Development Platform at LinuxWorld Expo in San Jose (August 1999).

IBM DeveloperWorks new Linux Zone for developers: http://www.ibm.com/developerWorks

Debian now available on Indybox hardware: http://www.indybox.com/

LinuxPR contains case studies of how Linux is penetrating into the business community: http://linuxpr.com/releases/118.html

Linux screensaver for Windows

News.com article about how Microsoft is evaluating Linux the way it evaluates other competitors

High-Availability Linux

O'Reilley: new edition of the "Webmaster in a Nutshell" book http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/webmaster2/

Software and hardware reviews (including games) for alternative OSes. The site is looking for reviewers. http://www.reviews-r-us.com/

Stormix: an easy to use, Debian-based Linux distribution

Vancouver, Canada - July 6, 1999: Stormix Technologies announces the alpha version of a new Linux distribution called Storm Linux. Based on the Debian GNU/Linux distribution, Storm Linux is designed to be easy to use and simple to install. Its target market is both the server and the desktop market.

The Debian distribution is already stable and secure, says Kevin Lindsay, project leader and developer for Stormix. By using Debian as our starting point, we can bring Linux to new levels of excellence and user accessibility.

All development for Storm Linux will be Open Source. We believe that the Open Source model is a strong one, Lindsay says. We will be using the GPL or a related license for all of our products.

For administrators, a key feature of Storm Linux is the Storm Administration System (SAS). Designed for local and secure remote administration, SAS features a single code base for all administration modules, which reduces the number of bugs. By separating the application from the client interface, SAS also improves remote connectivity and allows the quick creation of graphical and text interfaces.

For end-users, Storm Linux includes a choice of:

• text-based or graphical X Windows install
• automatic or custom partitioning
• KDE or GNOME desktops
• recent versions of text and X Windows programs, including X Free 86 3.3.3.1, enlightenment 0.15.5, apt 3.7, and Netscape 4.6

Depending on the install choices, a new user can be running Storm Linux in as little as fifteen minutes.

The final release of Storm Linux is expected for the fourth quarter of 1999.

Stormix Technologies was founded in February 1999 with the goal of providing the tools and applications that Linux needs to enter new markets. Initial investors include David Talmor, NetNation Communications Chairman and CEO, and Joseph Kabul, NetNation Communications COO.

After using the Linux operating system to build a world class web site hosting service, we were convinced that Linux has huge potential, Mr. Talmor says. As a result, we decided to establish a new company that focused specifically on the creation of a powerful and user-friendly distribution of the operating system. That distribution is Storm Linux.

Stormix Technologies is an independent company, and not directly affiliated with NetNation Communications.

Copies of the alpha version of Storm Linux are available via FTP at ftp://download.www.stormix.com or from the company web site at http://www.stormix.com.

We welcome detailed feedback from alpha testers, Lindsay says. We're looking for users with the enthusiasm and commitment to take part in an exciting new direction for Linux.

TurboLinux Workstation 3.6

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - June 29, 1999 - TurboLinux, the leader in high-performance Linux, today announced it is shipping its newest English language offering, TurboLinux Workstation 3.6. Based on the 2.2.9 Linux kernel, TurboLinux Workstation 3.6 retails for $49.95 and is currently available from the company's web site at www.turbolinux.com. It will be available in North America through retail outlets and resellers later this summer.

"TurboLinux is best known as the Linux leader in the Pacific Rim through our Japanese and Chinese language products," said Cliff Miller, president and CEO of TurboLinux. "TurboLinux Workstation 3.6 is the first of a series of forthcoming Linux offerings that are designed to meet the needs of high performance Linux users in North America and illustrate our ongoing commitment to this market. On TurboLinux Workstation 3.6 we've also improved the installer that Forbes Online and other reviewers described as the best in the market."

TurboLinux, formerly called Pacific HiTech, is quickly emerging as a dominant, global player in the Linux industry with offices in the U.S, Japan, China and Australia. It recently announced major alliances with IBM, Computer Associates and Hewlett-Packard. The company has shipped more than two million units of its Linux products in the past 18 months. After TurboLinux 3.0's December 1998 introduction in Asia, it rapidly outsold Microsoft's Windows NT (2000) at Japanese retail point of sale outlets, according to the Asia-Pacific high technology analyst firm, Computer News. Further, the product was voted "Editor's Choice Best Software Product for 1998" by Byte Magazine in Japan.

[Different-language editions of TurboLinux have different version numbers. The current English edition is 3.6. The current Japanese edition is 3.0. The Chinese edition is 3.0.2. There is also a TurboLinux Server 1.0 Japanese. -Ed.]

Active Tools Clustor 2.0 for Beowulf

Active Tools is pleased to announce that beta version of Clustor 2.0 for Linux Beowulf clusters is available for download from http://www.activetools.com

With Clustor, existing applications can be rapidly adapted for execution on a Beowulf type computing clusters. Clustor can also be used to utilize idle computing power of other networked computers.

Clustor provides an easy and intuitive environment to build distributed compute intensive applications, which offers significant time and money savings. Unlike other tools for development of distributed and parallel programs, no reprogramming of existing applications is required.

Caitoo 0.6.4 - Internet download manager for KDE

Caitoo ( formerly known as KGet ) is a download manager similar to Go!zilla(tm) or GetRight Download(tm). It keeps all your downloads in one dialog and you can add and remove transfers. Transfers can be paused, resumed, queued or scheduled. Dialogs display info about status of transfers - progress, size, speed and remaining time. Program supports drag & drop from KDE applications and Netscape.

Title:          Caitoo
Version:        0.6.4
Entered-date:   7 July 1999
Description:    Internet download manager
Keywords:       KDE, QT, ftp, download, resume, queueing, kget, caitoo
Author:         [email protected] (Matt Koss)
Maintained-by:  [email protected] (Matt Koss)
Primary-site:   http://tux.kawo2.rwth-aachen.de/~caitoo
Alternate-site: ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/unstable/apps/network
Original-site:  http://tux.kawo2.rwth-aachen.de/~caitoo
Platforms:      Linux, Qt 1.42, KDE 1.1
Copying-policy: GPL

Magic Software news

Magic Software has formed an Australian subsidiary for the e-commerce market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Magic also offers Magic 8.20 for developers deploying enterprise database applications (traditional or web-based). The current Linux product supports only Oracle and Informix databases, but others are supported on their other platforms and are expected to be ported to Linux in the future.
http://www.magic-sw.com

COME MEET MEL, Magic Software's LIVE Magic for Linux Really Cool PENGUIN at the LinuxWorld Expo. MeL, along with Jack Dunietz (Chief Executive Officer of Magic) and MAD DOG HALL (a founder of the Linux movement), will host a PRESS CONFERENCE on TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1999, at 9:00a.m. in Meeting Room K at the San Jose Convention Center to introduce eMerchant for Linux, Magic's new b2b e-commerce solution for the Linux patform. In addition, MeL will introduce Magic's new president of U.S. operations, Rephael Inbar., while Mad Dog will discuss new developments regarding Linux.

Linux Games Coming to the PowerPC (Loki and Terra Soft)

Loveland, CO, July 14, 1999 Terra Soft Solutions and Loki Entertainment Software announce a strategic alliance to bring best-selling PC games to Linux on PowerPC computers -- in some cases before those same games are available for the MacOS.

Loki Entertainment Software has become a strong force in the gaming industry, licensing MacOS and Windows games and porting them to the Linux operating system. Terra Soft Solutions has quickly established itself as a leader in the Linux for PowerPC arena. Through the partnership, Loki and Terra Soft will combine their efforts to bring Linux games to PowerPC computers.

In addition to working with Loki to bring Linux games to the PowerPC, Terra Soft will soon offer game bundles with its Yellow Dog Linux Gone Home distribution. Retail versions of Loki's games, which will include both the i386 and PPC versions, will be available as stand alone products for sale directly from Loki, Terra Soft and other software retailers.

Loki plans to bring a wide variety of games to Linux, including the most popular action, adventure, and educational titles. Loki's current product line includes Civilization: Call to Power, Myth II: Soulblighter, Railroad Tycoon II Gold Edition, and Eric's Ultimate Solitaire. A total of 8 titles are planned for release in 1999. http://www.lokigames.com. Based in Loveland, CO, Terra Soft is the developer of Yellow Dog Linux for Apple Macintosh G3 and PPC computers. Champion Server, their flagship product, is a highly professional distribution geared toward a wide range of network applications such as ISPs, corporate intra/extranets, web and network servers. Terra Soft recently introduced Black Lab Linux, a parallel computing system for research and development facilities. For more information about Terra Soft Solutions, visit their website at www.terrasoft solutions.com.

SourceGear (AbiWord) acquires Cyclic Software (CVS)

SourceGear Corporation announced today that it has acquired Cyclic Software. We are looking forward to the opportunity to be involved in the support and development of CVS, and we hope to carry on with Cyclic Software now that its previous proprietor, Jim Kingdon, has moved on to another position.

SourceGear is a new identity for an existing company, and I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you who we are.

First of all, SourceGear is the founder and sponsor of the AbiWord project. (AbiWord is a cross-platform word processor being developed by individuals here at SourceGear as well as many others in the broader community. It is distributed under the GNU GPL, the same license as CVS.) We are active participants in the free software world. Our experience in leading the development of AbiWord has taught us a great deal about community-developed projects. We intend to serve the community as active maintainers of CVS and provide leadership in the ongoing development of this important tool.

SourceGear also sells a line of developer tools for users of Microsoft Visual SourceSafe (Microsoft's version control tool). Our products, including SourceOffSite and SourceSurf, are used by thousands of customers all over the world. Our experience in the development and support of these products, including version control technology and customer support, gives us great confidence in our ability to service the needs of Cyclic's existing customers.

We are very pleased to be involved with the support and development of the most popular version control tool in the Open Source world. We ourselves are active users of CVS, and it is important to us that it continue to grow and be maintained proactively.

SuSE Linux 6.2 debuts August 9

Oakland, CA -- July 21, 1999 -- On August 9th, SuSE Linux 6.2 for x86 will be released worldwide, and, like its predecessors, boasts a host of new and interesting packages. The new release will make its public debut at Linux World Expo in San Jose, CA, when SuSE demonstrates its features at their booth, August 10 - 12 at the San Jose Convention Center. Highlights include:

- Over 1300 applications and utilities on six CD-ROMs -- even more
software at the same price as the previous version

- Kernel 2.2.10 -- the latest Linux kernel

- Completely glibc 2.1-based (with continued support for libc5 programs)

- VMware (time-limited) -- run DOS-, FreeBSD-, Windows 3.x, 9x and NT
4.0-applications easily under Linux

- XFree86 (TM) 3.3.4

- Hardware accellerated OpenGL drivers for all 3D fx-based graphics 
cards 

- User authentification with PAM

SuSE Linux 6.2 includes the latest Linux kernel, 2.2.10, with markedly improved performance under high loads.

The 1300 applications in the distribution include updates of applications previously released on SuSE Linux, such as StarOffice 5.1, KDE 1.1.1, Apache 1.3.6, GIMP 1.1.4 and sendmail 8.9.3. There are also many "firsts" such as VMware and RealPlayer 5.0.

According to SuSE Inc. President, Marc Torres, "This distribution includes many features that will be of interest to IT professionals. System administrators benefit from the state-of-the-art drivers in 6.2, such as for SCSI controllers by Adaptec and Tekram as well as for Megaraid controllers from AMI. Administrators of heterogeneous networks will appreciate the support for NIS, NIS+ (with Secure RPC) and smb, as these facilitate user administration on the network."

Macmillan: UK release of Linux-Mandrake and Quake 1 & 2

Macmillan Computer Publishing announced the UK release of two LINUX products in July featuring Linux-Mandrake: "The Complete Linux Operating System 6.0" and "The Complete Linux( Deluxe Operating System 6.0". Both are based on Red Hat 6.0 with enhancements from Mandrake. The enhancements include:

Optimised for Pentium( class or compatible processors (AMD Kx, Cyrix, Pentium) for faster running, this Mandrake version of Red Hat 6.0 is built on the more recent kernel 2.2.9 (as opposed to 2.2.5) providing better drivers and easier installation. The pre-configured K Desktop Environment [KDE] is the latest version 1.1.1, and can be launched under the Gnome interface and vice-versa for even more flexibility. Several window managers are provided for maximum customisation to suit the way you work. True desktop productivity allows you to drag'n'drop files and access devices directly from the desktop. Included is a range of desktop applications for graphics editing, word processing, personal information and financial management. Special versions of PartitionMagic and BootMagic are included for easy install of Windows for dual boot options.

... `StarOffice 5.1 Personal Edition', a complete office productivity suite that can act as a fully integrated desktop. Includes word processing, spreadsheet, graphic design, presentations, database access, HTML editor, mail/news reader, event planner, and formula editor. StarOffice features a very familiar and intuitive user interface that allows experienced office users to be productive almost immediately.

Macmillan also announced the forthcoming UK release of Quake The Offering and Quake II Colossus for the Linux operating system, the first in a range of `classic' games due for release on Linux from Macmillan Digital Publishing this year.

Macmillan Digital Publishing

Other software

Digital Image Professional 3.0 by Power Quest Corporation: clone another computer, remote configuration, backups for several OSes including Linux. http://www.os2.co.za/software

PHP4 version 4 beta 1 has been released. PHP is a server-side web scripting language, much like MS ASP. http://www.php.net/version4/ Stalker announced the LinuxPPC Version of its CommuniGate Pro mail server. A free trial version available at http://www.stalker.com/CommuniGatePro/.

Open source disk partitioner from Linux-Mandrake: http://www.linux-mandrake.com/diskdrake/

Cygnus to deliver GNUpro software for Solaris. This provides a common development environment for Solaris and Linux across SPARC and Intel platforms: http://www.cygnus.com/gnupro.html

Giganet extends cLAN interconnects to Linux platform. The company also announced a commitment to the Open Source movement and will make cLAN for Linux software available to all Linux designers and developers. http://www.giganet.com/

Loki Games new web site: http://www.lokigames.com

This page written and maintained by the Editor of Linux Gazette,
Copyright © 1999 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc.