Kernel release: 2.4.24-pre2, Dec 22, 2003

2.4.24-pre2 has been released today.
See changelog for full details.

Files added: 287
Files changed: 1147
Files removed: 39

Controversial Unix software company SCO Group reported a loss for its fourth quarter on Monday based largely on hefty legal fees the company has accrued waging its intellectual property war against Linux.

The Lindon, Utah-based company said it had a fourth-quarter net loss of $1.6 million, or 12 cents per share, compared with a loss of $2.7 million, or 26 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. SCO said it would have reported earnings of $7.4 million, or 44 cents per share, for the quarter before making a $9 million payout to lawyers representing the company in its Linux battles.

Novell has registered for the copyrights on UNIX System V 2, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.2/386, 4.0, 4.1, 4.1ES, 4.1ES/386, 4.2, and 4.2MP with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Now both the SCO Group and Novell have registered for UNIX System V copyrights for the same code, although it appears that Novell has a few that SCO does not.

The future of the computer software industry was being fought out last week in the Massachusetts Senate. It was just a skirmish, but dozens more just like it are happening in legislatures around the world. And the outcome will go a long way toward determining the shape of the industry in years to come. Our state's role in the drama began in September, when a remarkable memo leaked from the office of Eric Kriss, Massachusetts secretary of finance and administration. The memo said, or seemed to say, that the entire state would abandon the use of traditional computer software and replace them with "open-source" programs.

As far as PC operating systems (OS) go, it's free, more resistant to viruses and it works just as well on your five-year-old PC as it will on the latest gigahertz machine.

It is extremely stable, and is often used to run highly-secure information technology infrastructures like those in banks and stockbroking houses.

And did we mention, it is free?

So why isn't Linux running on your computer?

We, the undersigned KDE and Debian developers, fans and users of both, present this strategic proposal for a closer collaboration between the UserLinux and KDE projects. It is our strong belief that we can provide the UserLinux effort with undeniable value and credibility through its endorsement and execution.

I am a program manager at Microsoft doing some research around how we can improve our operating systems. My goal is to help us identify capabilities, improvements, and features that Microsoft should be focusing on to help our customers over the next 5 years or so.

I am particularly interested in hearing from Linux users, and get their input about what they feel should be the priorities. In particular, I would like to better understand what it is that makes Linux and Open Source solutions so useful for you.

It's dawned on Computer Associates International that IBM pays it royalties for the SMP technology in AIX, IBM's version of Unix, because of the work done long ago by Unix icon Locus Computing Corporation.

CA says it owns the Locus IP by virtue of its huge US$3.5 billion cash purchase of Platinum technology Inc in 2000. See, Platinum had bought Locus in a stock swap in, oh, 1995.

[The NY Times requires free registration]
The SCO Group plans to announce Monday that it is escalating its campaign to collect license fees from corporations using the Linux operating system, with warning letters to the companies. Supporters of Linux, including IBM and other companies, say that SCO's interpretation of its claim over Linux is exaggerated.

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