To:mswier@YAHOO.COM
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 16:48:58 -0400 (EDT)
From:"Linux Pipeline Newsletter" <linuxed@techwire.com>
Subject: [LXP] Linux Pipeline - 04.12.2006 - Friend And Foe Linux Pipeline Newsletter | Friend And Foe | MM.DD.2006
Linux Pipeline Newsletter
www.LinuxPipeline.com
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2006


In This Issue:
  • Editor's Note: Friend And Foe
  • Top Linux News
        - Red Hat To Acquire JBoss For $420 Million
        - Minnesota Bill Supports Open Standards
        - Cross-Platform Virus Infects Linux And Windows
        - More News...
  • Editor's Picks
        - Red Hat-JBoss Deal Blurs Line Between Friend And Foe
        - Virtualization Race Drives Microsoft's Linux Moves
        - Google's San Francisco Wi-Fi Plan Stirs Privacy Debate
        - More Picks...
  • Voting Booth: Firefox Faces The Future
  • Get More Out Of Linux Pipeline
  • Manage Your Newsletter Subscription


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    Editor's Note: Friend And Foe

    The Linux developer community, and to some extent the Open Source community as a whole, is not known for its milquetoast manners. And to some extent, it's a well-deserved reputation -- a newbie who wanders onto a Linux hacker forum with an innocent question might need to seek counseling to deal what's about to happen to them.

    Yet as someone born and raised in the Deep South, I can tell you that civility is not the same thing as good manners. In fact, I'm far more partial these days to the kind of person who is just as likely to give you a swift kick in the ass as to hold out a helping hand -- either way, you know exactly where you stand.

    We'll soon see whether this pull-no-punches ethic has an impact on the business culture that is developing around rapidly-growing Open Source companies. The concept of "coopetition" has, of course, always been with us: Very few companies can afford to burn every bridge between them and their rivals. Yet the sheer complexity of these relationships among Open Source vendors, and the speed with which they change, is bound to push some of them to the limit -- and, probably, beyond.

    The occasion for noting all of this is the week's big news: Red Hat's acquisition of JBoss. It's a case where one deal between two companies could directly affect the relationships between many others. Yet the same process is also relevant in Microsoft's case, where the company is being drawn into business relationships that it would never have contemplated a year ago.

    In both cases, we're going to see very large companies struggle with their own competitive drive, on one hand, and with the fact that they simply cannot afford to alienate either friends or competitors, on the other hand. Certainly, there are rivalries galore in the Open Source world, but they are, without exception, tempered by other, more cooperative relationships -- everything from joint work on standards to sharing the same developer communities.

    This is an environment where you can't just pick up your toys and go home -- first, because they're not "your toys," in most cases, thanks to open-source licensing agreements and community-based development; and second, because even if they were your toys, you can't have much fun playing with them by yourself. While there may be an interesting, and potentially colossal, long-term downside to all of this (something to discuss another time), for now it's the source of a synergy that few other industries have ever mustered, and that even a company like Microsoft is clearly struggling to keep up with.

    Have a good week, and stay in touch.

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


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    Top Linux News

    Red Hat To Acquire JBoss For $420 Million
    Red Hat said Monday it will pay at least $350 million for JBoss, with an additional payment of $70 million due when the Open Source enterprise middleware developer hits agreed-upon performance milestones.

    Minnesota Bill Supports Open Standards
    A lawmaker introduces a bill "requiring state agencies to use open data formats" in the Minnesota state legislature, making it the first state to emulate a similar rule enacted in Massachusetts last year.

    Cross-Platform Virus Infects Linux And Windows
    A Russian security company announced Friday that it had found a virus capable of running on PCs using either Linux or Windows, and able to spread via both systems' executable file formats.

    Azureus-BitTorrent Client Wins SourceForge Award
    The Azureus-BitTorrent Client beats out a dozen other finalists, taking the "Most Popular Software" crown in SourceForge.net's first annual Community Choice Awards, announced at LinuxWorld last week.

    Novell: Tiered OS Could Get OEMs Into Linux Distribution Game
    Novell looks at a plan allowing OEMs to bundle core versions of the company's SUSE Linux distro optimized for their hardware configurations, while it focuses on virtualization technology and other data center services.

    Registrar's Move Behind Web Server Market-Share Swing
    Experts say a market-share swing of more than five percentage points, from the open-source Apache Web server to Microsoft's Windows Server platform, is actually due to a server migration at a single major domain-name registrar -- not evidence of a large-scale trend.

    Mac Hackers Run Vista On Apple Hardware
    Mac owners have figured out how to install and boot a pre-release version of Windows Vista on their Intel-based machines, a Web site claimed Sunday. The trick, alas, requires you to delete your installed version of Mac OS X, at least for now.

    Google Ships Upgrade Of Firefox Toolbar
    Google's upgrade, available as a free extension for the open-source Firefox browser, provides easier access to previous search queries, and suggestions for popular choices from search results.


    Editor's Picks

    Red Hat-JBoss Deal Blurs Line Between Friend And Foe
    Partners and analysts weigh impact of Red Hat - JBoss marriage on the software industry, especially in terms of the blurring of lines between business partners and competitive rivals in the Open Source world.

    Virtualization Race Drives Microsoft's Linux Moves
    Microsoft's hand may have been forced by recent developments in the fast-moving Linux market, combined with additional delays launching its own virtualization platform.

    Google's San Francisco Wi-Fi Plan Stirs Privacy Debate
    Privacy advocates have raised concerns over Google's proposed free Wi-Fi service in San Francisco, which would target users with advertising based on their location and might store data identifying users' Web surfing habits.

    The Lure Of Open Source
    As the Linux tide continues to rise, a new wave of channel programs is helping VARs net more open-source deals.

    Is Podcast Hype All Talk?
    While many consumers know about podcasts, not all that many actually bother to download them, a researcher says. The report's findings, by the way, were not podcast...

    NetFlix Directs A Patent Blockbuster
    Online DVD rental firm NetFlix is suing rival Blockbuster over patent claims that at times sound ridiculously obvious. At least in this case, NetFlix can't be accused of being a patent troll.


    Voting Booth: Firefox Faces The Future

    Cast Your Vote Now!
    This week's poll question: What will happen to Firefox when Internet Explorer 7 is released later this year? Will Microsoft finally squash Mozilla with a quality Web browser, or does Firefox still have plenty of tricks to keep Redmond second-guessing? Let us know, cast your vote!

    Next week: Our Firefox poll results, along with a new question for you all to consider.


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