Kernel release: 2.4.22-pre6, Jul 14, 2003

2.4.22-pre6 has been released today.
See changelog for full details.

Files added: 532
Files changed: 2479
Files removed: 286

2.6.0-test1-ac1 has been released today.
See changelog for full details.

Files added: 13
Files changed: 82
Files removed: 1

PC shoppers visiting Wal-Mart Stores' online shop will find a new PC on offer with a bundle of preloaded open source software products from SuSE Linux.

SuSE has teamed with Microtel Computer Systems to offer a range of PCs preloaded with SuSE's 8.2 operating system software and numerous other office and entertainment applications, the Nuremberg, Germany, software vendor said in a statement Monday

While a 2-year-old project to develop an open-source version of Microsoft Corp.'s .Net Framework is making progress, it's still a long way from prime time.

The Mono Project incorporates key .Net-compliant components, including a C# compiler, a Common Language Runtime just-in-time compiler and a growing set of class libraries, including ASP.Net and ADO.Net. But officials at the project's leader, Ximian Inc., said the group is still incorporating new features being added by Microsoft into the next version of the .Net development platform, dubbed Whidbey.

So, what's the problem? If all Microsoft and the ISC want is purchasing neutrality, that's good, right? Aren't Linux aficionados supposed to be willing to go head-to-head against Windows?

ISC's Kramer says: "If the economics go in a particular direction, we're good with that. If that's Linux, we're fine with that. Those are purchasing decisions." Jonathan Zuck of the Association for Competitive Technology, an ISC member, adds: "Right now, there's no barrier to (governments) using open-source software. Just compete. If you like this open-source product, use it. If you like this closed-source product, use it."

The result suggests that Microsoft will have a difficult road to hoe in its continuing attempts to counter the threat Linux represents to its lucrative server software business. Although the software giant's approach has become less aggressive in recent months, it is continuing to devote significant efforts to attempting to discredit Linux. Last week, it issued marketing materials to its sales partners to attempt to stem growing interest in Linux in the SME market.

The use of open-source software is alive and well and growing among government agencies, including the U.S. Census Bureau.

In an address at the O'Reilly Open Source Convention (Oscon) here on Thursday titled "Open Source in Government," Lisa Wolfisch Nyman, a senior Internet technology architect at the Bureau, said the issue of open source and government was first raised at Oscon in 1999, where many public sector employees said they were forbidden from using open source.

HBS professor Siobhán O'Mahony discusses her research on foundations formed around three projects: Debian, a complete non-commercial distribution of Linux; the GNU Object Model Environment (GNOME), which is a graphical user interface for Linux-based operating systems; and Apache, a public domain open source Web server.

A Linux victory in Munich would be a stunning blow. So Ballmer visited Mayor Christian Ude to assure him Microsoft would do what it takes to keep the city's business. Documents obtained by USA TODAY show Microsoft subsequently lowered its pricing to $31.9 million and then to $23.7 million — an overall 35% price cut. The discounts were for naught.

On May 28, the city council approved a more expensive proposal — $35.7 million — from German Linux distributor SuSE and IBM, a big Linux backer.

Webmaster's note: Linus' comments in the kernel mailing list

Ok, the naming should be familiar - it's the same deal as with 2.4.0.

One difference is that while 2.4.0 took about 7 months from the pre1 to the final release, I hope (and believe) that we have fewer issues facing us in the current 2.6.0. But very obviously there are going to be a few test-releases before the real thing.

The point of the test versions is to make more people realize that they need testing and get some straggling developers realizing that it's too late to worry about the next big feature. I'm hoping that Linux vendors will start offering the test kernels as installation alternatives, and do things like make upgrade internal machines, so that when the real 2.6.0 does happen, we're all set.

2.6.0-test1 has been released today.
See changelog for full details.

Files added: 36
Files changed: 364
Files removed: 0

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