Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 16:03:21 -0500 (EST)
From:"Linux Pipeline Newsletter" <tw@update.techweb.com>
To:mswier@YAHOO.COM
Subject: [LPN| Linux Pipeline Newsletter - 11-16-04 - Toasted SCO Linux Pipeline Newsletter | Toasted SCO | 11.16.2004
Linux Pipeline Newsletter
www.LinuxPipeline.com
Tuesday, November 16, 2004


In This Issue:
  • Editor's Note: Toasted SCO
  • Top Linux News
        - Sloppy Admins Make Linux A Tempting Target
        - Mozilla's Firefox Makes Its Formal Debut
        - Microsoft Extends IP Legal Coverage
        - More News...
  • Editor's Picks
        - Feature: Torvalds Takes Linux To The Top
        - Review: Novell Linux Desktop
        - Review: Firefox: Security Never Looked So Good
        - More Picks...
  • Voting Booth: Linux Security Threats
  • Get More Out Of Linux Pipeline

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    -----------------------------------------

    Editor's Note: Toasted SCO

    SCO's tenure as the most despised tech company in the world may soon be over. As a matter of fact, its tenure as a company may soon be over, period, if a Novell legal filing posted on Groklaw last week turns out to be nearly as big as it seems to be.

    Novell's legal filing on Groklaw.

    Novell executives, you may recall, have long insisted that when the company sold its Unix code to what was then the Santa Cruz Organization, it retained the copyrights. The modern-day SCO, which is pursuing a $5 billion lawsuit against IBM for contributing SCO-copyrighted Unix code to Linux, didn't like this very much. No copyrights, most likely no lawsuit, either.

    SCO's solution: sue Novell for falsely claiming to own the Unix copyrights, something legal types call "slander of title."

    Novell's response: make SCO look like a bunch of bozos by shooting their legal case full of more holes than John Dillinger's hat.

    Mission accomplished.

    Last week, according to Groklaw (if you don't know what they're all about, go see for yourself), Novell produced minutes from a 1995 board of directors meeting clearly stating that the company retained its Unix copyrights. Since SCO has to prove that Novell's ownership claims are a "knowing falsehood," this document is more than just a smoking gun--it's a smoking cannon.

    Things were already looking bad for SCO, since Novell has also produced, among other documents, a May 2003 letter from SCO asking Novell to transfer the Unix copyrights SCO supposedly already owned. SCO's attorneys have soldiered on through this charade with all the sincerity $31 million can buy, but it must be getting tough for these guys to show up in court with straight faces.

    SCO isn't the only company in the world to turn litigation into a business model, but it was the most visible. Most of the legal pundits I've seen weigh in on this case, however, are convinced the company's ambulance-chasing days are over. Unless SCO figures out fast how to earn an honest living--a remote possibility, given the enemies the company has made--it might be time to dig a fresh hole in the corporate graveyard.

    Matthew McKenzie
    Editor, Linux Pipeline
    mattcmp@sonic.net
    www.LinuxPipeline.com


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    Top Linux News

    Sloppy Admins Make Linux A Tempting Target
    Many Linux systems have security holes due to untrained sysadmins and missing patches, according to a controversial report from UK security firm mi2g.

    Mozilla's Firefox Makes Its Formal Debut
    The free browser goes into "official" release, but it's certainly no secret with eight million users already on board.

    Microsoft Extends IP Legal Coverage
    The company says it will shield all customers from legal costs and damages involving patent, copyright, trademark, or trade-secret disputes.

    Earlier Firefox Versions Pose Security Risk
    Just days after the Mozilla Foundation released the final version of its Firefox browser, a security firm warned that earlier editions should be replaced.

    Sun Names Its Price For Solaris 10: Free
    Sun looks to trump Red Hat by offering Solaris 10 at no charge and offering free migration services to enterprise customers.

    Activists Criticize E-Voting Settlement
    A leading e-voting systems maker settles California's lawsuit against it, but that has not settled open-source advocates and other critics.

    BEA Says Apache 'Beehive' Is Open For Business
    BEA's 'Beehive' Web services development platform, released last summer to the Apache Foundation as an open-source project, passes its first milestone release.

    Mandrakesoft Ships 64-Bit Linux Distro
    The latest version of Mandrakelinux 10.1 will support 64-bit processors from both Intel and AMD.

    Symantec's pcAnywhere Comes To Linux
    Symantec's first update to its pcAnywhere remote control software in more than a year features Linux host support and beefed-up security.

    Sleepycat Ships Open-Source DB Update
    The company's open-source Berkeley DB update will focus on improved performance in mission-critical environments.

    Sun Preps Solaris 10 Developer Resources
    New tools and resources aim to build developer interest in next week's much-anticipated Solaris 10 release.


    Editor's Picks

    Feature: Torvalds Takes Linux To The Top
    Linus Torvalds keeps his cool--and his humanity--even as he watches his "labor of love" grow into a billion-dollar industry.

    Review: Novell Linux Desktop
    NLD offers a reasonable alternative to Windows, especially for Novell-centric shops, though some rough edges remain.

    Review: Firefox: Security Never Looked So Good
    The Firefox Web browser packs solid security features--and a whole lot more--into a promising debut release.

    Analysis: Time For Internet Explorer To Get Lost?
    Will Firefox supply the spark to (finally!) ignite a large-scale backlash against Internet Explorer?

    Trends: Linux Fits Well On Thin Clients
    Microsoft may still rule the desktop PC, but Linux has built a strong and growing presence in the thin client market.

    Review: GNU's 'Mailman' Delivers
    GNU's Mailman mailing list software offers seamless mail server integration and more than enough features to satisfy most enterprise users.

    Last week's poll:
    As with so many elections nowadays, last week's poll on e-voting technology drew a small but vocal turnout. Of 294 votes cast, just ten percent of you trust proprietary e-voting systems, while 86 percent believe elections should use open-source technology. Oh, and five percent of you didn't vote. Bad geeks, bad!


    Voting Booth:

    Cast Your Vote Now!
    Linux Security Threats

    As Linux moves into the commercial mainstream, it also moves increasingly into harm's way. What is the biggest security threat Linux faces today? Let us know, cast your vote!


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