Red Hat opens up security system, Apr 07, 2008

COMMERCIAL Linux distributor Red Hat says it has released all of the source code to the Red Hat Certificate System, its security framework for managing network user identities and transactions.

IT workers who specialise in free and open source software are earning more than the national average for IT, according to the results of Australia's first open source census.

Believe it or not, even virtual penguins have a part to play in the global warming debate.

Scott Allen, Europcar chief information officer, says extending the life of desktops is a form of recycling.

Linux software maker Red Hat has again moved to allay fears that its corporate clients could be penalised for alleged intellectual property infringement.

The energy efficiency battle between Linux and Windows is intensifying, with each claiming to be better at cutting power consumption and avoiding environmental damage.

Gaming giant Tattersalls has chosen to abandon Linux as it moves ahead with a $43 million project to streamline its multi-state Maxgaming poker machine business.

Long-time rivals IBM and Sun Microsystems plan to cooperate on some server technologies, a move that could put pressure on Hewlett-Packard.

Mozilla chief Mitchell Baker prefers to call herself the company's "chief lizard wrangler", a reference to the organisation's original dinosaur logo and to the difficulties of managing a company that has 90 official staff but a volunteer workforce of 200,000.

The Free Software Foundation is reviewing Novell's right to sell new versions of Linux after the open source community criticised the company for teaming up with Microsoft.

A widely backed effort is under way to create a standard Linux desktop to help break Microsoft's stranglehold.

The stereotype of free open-source software running on recycled hardware is fast disappearing as businesses choose it over proprietary systems.

The growing popularity of open-source browsers and software may be responsible for the increasing gap between the exposure of a vulnerability and the provision of patch to fix it, security software vendor Symantec has said.

Startup EnterpriseDB says it aims to compete with open source database leader MySQL, and take on rivals Pervasive Software and Greenplum.

Linux's mascot may be one penguin, but there are countless Linuxes — different versions that aim to fulfil different niches.

Three server deals the company has announced recently and a handful of secret customer trials could help Novell cut a path to its Ximian-based Linux enterprise operating system, Novell Linux Desktop, leading to corporate desktops.

Just as the open-source movement appeared to be nearing its first conclusive desktop replacement win in the federal government, the Department of Veterans' Affairs has got cold feet and will extend its existing relationship with Microsoft.

A new "hack for the dole" scheme will allow unemployed people to meet their mutual obligation requirements by working on open-source software projects.

The emergence of operating systems such as Linux, Solaris and Netware is starting to affect the popularity of Unix skills in the marketplace, according to an IT skills report.

Novell, the number-two Linux software distributor, has combined with global tech giant IBM to target government departments with its SuSE flavour of the open-source operating system.

The companies will use the Canberra-based IBM Linux Laboratory to test and demonstrate compatibilities between Novell's SuSE and IBM's middleware stack of infrastructure software, and to test compatibility of public sector applications running on the platforms.

Microsoft will offer a low-cost, localised version of its Windows XP operating system in India to tap the large market potential offered by the country of 1 billion people, most of whom do not speak English.

The Windows XP Starter Edition, designed for first-time personal computer users in India's national language, Hindi, will be "significantly cheaper" than the Windows XP, said Rajeev Kaul, managing director of Microsoft India.