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IBM buys Linux giant Red Hat to thrive in the cloud
IBM isn't a stranger to Linux by any stretch, but it might just become one of the platform's strongest supporters in the near future -- and shake up the cloud landscape, for that matter. IBM has announced a deal to buy Linux giant and open source enterprise software developer Red Hat for the equivalent value of $34 billion. Provided it clears regulatory hurdles, the acquisition should close in the second half of 2019.
Red Hat buys the creator of a Chrome-based OS for servers
The underpinnings of Chrome OS have found their way into the server room in a very roundabout way. Red Hat has acquired CoreOS, the creators of an operating system for containerized apps (Container Linux) that shares roots with both Google's Chromium OS project and Gentoo Linux. The $250 million deal promises to help Red Hat fulfill its dreams of helping people use open code to deploy apps in any environment they like, whether it's on a local network or multiple cloud services.
Google denies Linux flaw is a serious Android security issue
Red Hat and security company Perception Point recently revealed a Linux flaw they say could affect servers, PCs and up to 66 percent of Android phones on the market. The vulnerability directly affects the OS's kernel, and could give attackers a way to gain code execution and take over a device, according to Perception Point. Google, however, fired back strongly at the claim, particularly because it wasn't given the usual window to address the flaw before it was publicly released. "Since this issue was released without prior notice to the Android Security Team, we are now investigating the claims ... [however,] we believe that the number of Android devices affected is significantly smaller than initially reported."
Fedora 20 targets enterprise and mobile with improved ARM and virtual machine support
On both desktops and servers, Fedora has seen popularity slip behind relative Linux new comers like Ubuntu and Mint. But Red Hat knows its strength lies in the enterprise, where its impressive security features have found love in the arms of sysadmins all over the globe. While we wouldn't say the release of version 20 (Heisenbug) is putting it ahead of the curve, it's certainly a valiant effort to future-proof the distribution. As the world preps for an explosion of ARM-powered servers, Fedora is finally adding support for the RISC-based processors to it's official channels. Until now support for ARM chips has been provided by unofficial community developers. Going forward, ARM will receive the same level of support that x86 chips from the likes of Intel and AMD have enjoyed for years. It also preps the distro for a market flooded mobile devices that emphasize form factor and battery life over raw processing power. In another nod to its business customers, the OS has greatly improved virtualization support through both a new visual interface and the addition of virtual images crafted specifically for cloud computing services like Amazon Web Services and OpenStack. There, of course, are updates to desktop environments like GNOME and KDE, too for those more likely to install it on a home PC. Whether you're setting up an ARM server or just appreciate Red Hat's nod to Breaking Bad, you'll find full details of the Heisenbug upgrade at the source links.
Fedora 19 Schrodinger's Cat released with 3D printing, Developer's Assistant, paradoxes
Fedora 19 Schrodinger's Cat may have a name that suggests it's both alive and dead, but there's no uncertainties about its release -- the finished Linux distribution is now available on Fedora's servers. The oddly-nicknamed OS mostly improves content creation. It beats Microsoft to the punch on 3D printer support by including object design and printing tools; budding programmers will also like Node.js support and a Developer's Assistant that simplifies learning new code languages. While there's many more updates than we can list here, it's safe to say that Fedora 19 is a big update for many Linux fans, whether or not they appreciate Schrodinger's quantum mechanics. You can grab the new build and its release notes at the source links.
Google, BlackBerry, EarthLink and Red Hat ask DoJ and FTC to help starve patent trolls
Tired of all the patent-related stories? Especially the ones that seem like they are more about financial gain than fairness? We thought so. We'd imagine it's even more of a frustration if you're one of the companies regularly involved. No surprise then that some firms -- such as Google, BlackBerry, EarthLink and Red Hat -- have decided to do something about it, taking the fight directly to the FTC and DoJ. In a recent blog post, Google explains that -- along with its collaborators -- it has submitted comments to the aforementioned agencies, detailing the impact that "patent trolls" have on the economy. While the financial cost to the US taxpayer is said to be nearly $30 billion, the four companies also point out how such behavior hurts consumers even further, suggesting that when start-ups and small businesses are strong-armed, innovation and competition suffer. Some specific practices such as "patent priveteering" -- when a company sells patents to trolls who don't manufacture anything and therefore can't be countersued -- also come under direct criticism. The cynical might assume this all comes back to the bottom line, but with the collaborative extending an invitation to other companies to help develop revised, cooperative licensing agreements, they are the very least making it difficult for them to engage in similar behavior in the future. At least until the FTC and DoJ respond.
Fedora 18 Spherical Cow brings Linux fans a taste of Cinnamon, new installer
Fedora's Linux distribution may be competing with Ubuntu for the title of silliest update name, but that doesn't diminish the impact of what are often significant revisions. See the just-launched Fedora 18 as an example: while it's called Spherical Cow, it introduces both a simpler installer to replace an aging predecessor as well as the option of using the Gnome 3-based Cinnamon desktop we recently saw in Linux Mint 13. There's also FedFS, a file system that provides unity between multiple file servers, and newer versions of both Sugar and XFCE for those who prefer different interfaces. If these and many under-the-hood updates can overcome the giggling over rounded bovines, Fedora 18's download and release notes are ready at the source links.
Fedora 16 now being served, with large side order of cloud
What happens when 24,000 geeks contribute to a single open source project? Fedora 16, that's what. The watery 'Verne' update is based on Linux kernel 3.1.0 and comes with a bunch of enterprise-friendly improvements, including better support for cloud-based processing and storage systems, more flexible desktop virtualization using SPICE USB, and version 3.2 of the Gnome desktop, which -- aside from being pretty -- offers greater scope for storing and managing user accounts online. There's some fun stuff too, including Firefox 7.0.1, a Rhythmbox app for music, and Shotwell for photo management. If any of this might make your life easier or more fulfilling, then explore the PR after the break and then head to the source link to download. [Thanks, Jarrett]
Shocker! Microsoft commands 79 percent of worldwide OS revenue (update)
Everyone knows that Windows is installed on the vast majority of computers, but it's always interesting to be reminded of what a cash cow the OS has been for Redmond. According to Gartner, Microsoft owned 78.6 percent of the global market revenue share for desktop operating systems at the end of 2010 -- revenue up almost 9 percent from 2009. That means, of the $30.4 billion in revenue that various companies generated, $23.8 billion lined Microsoft's coffers. But while Windows remains the kingpin, Mac OS X and -- wait for it -- Red Hat, posted more substantial gains. Apple's market revenue shot up almost 16 percent to 1.7 percent, Red Hat surged 18 percent, while dark horse Oracle leaped from ninth place to fourth, with a 7,683 percent growth in income -- no small thanks to its 2009 acquisition of Sun Microsystems. Only one question remains, then -- who's the loser here? Update: Looks like we got this one wrong, folks, as it's not market share that's being measured here, but rather revenue share -- how much money each company made from its operating systems relative to one another. That means companies that price their operating systems cheaper will be at a disadvantage in the rankings, not to mention those organizations that charge nothing at all -- Ubuntu, anyone? Oh, and as some of you have pointed out in comments, there are both desktop and server operating systems in the chart above.
Fedora 14 now available for download, complete with MeeGo trimmings
Ubuntu may be the Linux distribution of choice for many these days, but it's hardly the only game in town, and one of the other big players has now gotten an update that might just sway some folks back to its team. That comes in the form of the Red Hat sponsored Fedora 14, which is aimed specifically at "developers, system administrators and open source enthusiasts." If that includes you, you can expect to get a slew of mostly behind-the-scenes updates, including a new software framework for Spice desktop virtualization, a range of new debugging features, an updated tech preview of the GNOME shell environment that will be part of the upcoming GNOME 3.0 release and, of particular note, some software from the MeeGo community that promises an "enhanced experience on netbooks and small devices." As with previous Fedora releases, it's also available in a number of different "spins" to suit your tastes and needs and it's, of course, completely free. Head on past the break for the complete press release, and hit up the link below to download the OS.
SGI announces Octane III personal supercomputer
We've seen companies throw in with personal supercomputing platforms in the past, but if anybody makes a splash with the things we hope it's SGI. The new SGI -- that is, the mash-up of the old SGI and Rackable -- has just announced the Octane III, an office-friendly (one-by-two-foot) tower that can sit under a (fairly large) desk while permitting up to 80 high-performance cores with its nearly 1TB of memory. Options include Intel Xeon 5500 series, Dual-core Atom, or Xeon 3400 processors, and an NVIDIA GP-GPU card. If you're a system administrator with money to throw around and a burning desire to add a machine running Microsoft HPC Server 2008, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, or Red Hat Enterprise Linux to your network (and who isn't, really?) hit up the read link to talk to a sales rep. Prices start at $7995. Show full PR text SGI Unveils Octane™ III Personal Supercomputer Octane III Delivers Unparalleled Performance, Energy Efficiency and Ease of Use to HPC Users in Office Environments Intel Developer Forum 2009, San Francisco FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SGI® (NASDAQ: SGI) today announced the immediate availability of Octane™ III, the company's first personal supercomputer. This new product takes high-performance computing to a new level by combining the immense power and performance capabilities of a high-performance deskside cluster with the portability and usability of a workstation. The Octane III is uniquely suited for workplace environments and supports a vast range of distributed technical computing applications. Octane III is office-ready with a pedestal, one-by-two-foot form factor, whisper-quiet operations, easy-to-use features, low maintenance requirements and support for standard office power outlets. While a typical workstation has only eight cores and moderate memory capacity, the superior design of the Octane III permits up to 80 high-performance cores and nearly 1TB of memory for unparalleled performance. "Octane III makes supercomputing personal again," said Mark J. Barrenechea, president and CEO of SGI. "Our customers have been asking for office environment products with large core counts that are easy to use and whisper-quiet. Octane III brings all of this to the HPC professional, and enables a new era of personal innovation in strategic science, research, development and visualization." Octane III is easily configurable with single- and dual-socket node choices, and offers a wide selection of performance, storage, graphics, GP-GPU and integrated networking options. Yielding the same leading power efficiencies inherent in all SGI Eco-Logical™ compute designs, Octane III supports the latest Intel® processors to capitalize on greater levels of performance, flexibility and scalability. "IDC research has shown a growing demand for high-performance deskside supercomputers, and the new Octane III personal supercomputer is designed to directly address the requirements of both the entry level HPC technical server market and the desktop workstation market with a high-performance cluster designed to help close the gap between the desktop and the data center," said Earl Joseph, HPC Program Vice President at IDC. "SGI workstations and servers have been highly regarded by HPC scientists, engineers and analysts, and the new system with up to 80 high-performance cores and 1TB of memory is certain to capture the attention of many HPC computing professionals." Octane III is available in a variety of configurations: * Ten dual-socket, Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series-based nodes * One dual-socket, Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series-based workstation with advanced NVIDIA graphics and/or GP-GPU card support * Nineteen single-socket, Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® processor 3400 series-based nodes * Nineteen single-socket, Dual-Core Intel® Atom™ processor-based nodes "SGI's Octane III offers a solution for workstation users wanting to reach dramatically higher levels of performance with minimal investment. With the support of up to 19 Intel® Xeon® processors, HPC users looking to enhance their workgroup productivity outside the data center can also utilize the benefits of the Octane III for faster discovery and quicker simulations," said Richard Dracott, General Manager of High Performance Computing at Intel. "With certification from the Intel® Cluster Ready program, Octane III will provide a powerful, easy-to-deploy personal supercomputer." For a simple, out-of-the-box experience, Octane III ships as a factory-tested, pre-integrated platform with broad HPC application support – powerful enough for the most complex applications in the world. These include fluid dynamics, quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, seismic processing, data analytics, rendering, visualization and computer-aided design, among many other HPC applications. Octane III supports Microsoft HPC Server 2008, SUSE® Linux® Enterprise Server and Red Hat® Enterprise Linux operating systems. Linux configurations include SGI ProPack™ and ISLE™ cluster management software. Octane III will be on display at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) at Moscone Center, San Francisco, Calif., on September 22-24, 2009, in Booth # 718 at the Technology Showcase in the HyperScale Community. Availability and Pricing: Octane III is immediately available with Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series or Intel® Atom™ configurations. The base configuration price starts at $7,995. For more information about Octane III, please visit http://www.sgi.com/OctaneIII.
Fedora 10 goes live: your download awaits
Just six short months after Fedora 9 hit the tubes, in flies Fedora 10 to give you something new to tinker with over Thanksgiving break. The latest iteration of the Linux-based OS bundles in OpenOffice 3.0 and touts a "wide range of improvements in areas such as virtualization management, networking, boot time and security." Don't mind us, though -- you can delve as deep as you like in the release notes while your download progresses.[Via PC World]
Red Hat says it has no plans for a consumer Linux product
We've never really thought of Red Hat as being a consumer-focused Linux provider, and it looks like the company is content to stay in the enterprise -- the company announced today that it has no plans to enter the consumer space. Red Hat says that as a for-profit public company, the focus on the bottom line precludes a risky bet on a consumer-oriented Linux desktop, and that it sees history as being "littered" with failures. Instead, the company is going to work on getting businesses to switch over to managed Linux desktops, which seems like a safe, if somewhat dull strategy. Still, that's a pretty big potential market to give up, especially as more and more UMPCs and MIDs hit the scene with Linux pre-loaded, and distros like gOS and Ubuntu (seven days till Hardy Heron, kids!) increase consumer awareness. Still, we can sort of see why Red Hat is willing to safely make money in the corporate game -- but we prefer our Linux a little more punk rock.[Via Mobile Tech Today]
Microsoft: Vista has fewer first-year vulnerabilities than any modern OS
He we go again. Like an evil pope preparing to recapture the Holy Land, Jeff Jones, Microsoft's self-proclaimed "Security Guy" (and Microsoft Director) just published the Vista One Year Vulnerability Report. As you can see from the graph above, JJ's methodology concludes that Microsoft's Vista easily bests the first year vulnerabilities found in XP, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Ubuntu, and Apple's own OS X. As contentious as the report is, is anyone else reflecting on the fact that Vista is more than a year old for businesses (almost exactly one for consumers) yet XP continues to ship standard on many PCs?[Via Slashdot]
IP Innovation sues Red Hat, Novell for patent infringement
Well, would you look at this. Not even a week after Steve Ballmer insinuated that Red Hat users owe Microsoft money for using its patents, IP Innovation has filed a lawsuit against the firm (along with Novell) in the accurately nicknamed "patent troll magnet state (that'd be Texas)." The firm, which also threw a lawsuit Apple's way earlier this year, is claiming that both entities have infringed on the very same patent. As if that weren't enough, Groklaw's digging found that the plaintiff is actually a subsidiary of Acacia, which just so happened to hire on two prior Microsoft execs in the months leading up to this filing. If you're interested in feeding your desire to conjure up some sensational conspiracy theory even further, feel free to grab your coffee and hit the read link.[Via Digg, thanks Ziemowit P.]
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XLVI: Ballmer still wants compensation from Red Hat users
If you'll recall, it was around this time last year when ole Steve Ballmer fessed up and stated that Linux users probably owed him a nickle or two, and apparently, he's yet to get over it. Reportedly, Mr. Ballmer was speaking out last week "at a company event in London discussing online services in the UK" when he proclaimed that "people who use Red Hat, at least with respect to our intellectual property, in a sense have an obligation to compensate us." Furthermore, he went on to "praise Novell for valuing intellectual property, and suggested that open source vendors will be forced to strike similar deals with other patent holders." Of course, we're sure he means well and all, given that all he "really" wants is "an intellectual property interoperability framework between the two worlds." And a few dollars too, right?[Via TheInquirer]
HP selling Linux-loaded laptops in Australia
HP has started selling its first pre-loaded Linux computers, although it's arguably a rather backwater offering. You see, the HP dx2250 is HP's first pre-loaded Linux machine, but it's only available in Australia, and only in this iteration. The desktop machine runs 1.6GHz AMD Semprons up to the 2.8Ghz AMD Athlon 64 X2, comes with 2GB of RAM, HDD up to 250GB, and CD drives up to Multi-Format burners. You'll have to pay around $500 for the pre-installation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Desktop version too: this ain't no Dellbuntu deal.[Via The Inquirer]
Ubuntu, Red Hat, and Microsoft: not really buddies
If you keep abreast of technology news (and we know you do!) then you've surely been following the latest chapter of the Microsoft vs. Linux struggle, wherein Microsoft gets Novell, Linspire and Xandros to put pen to paper on shadowy and vaguely suspicious agreements concerning "interoperability" and "indemnification", more than likely stemming from the 235 undisclosed patents Redmond claims Linux infringes upon. While some have bent to the will of Ballmer and Co., Red Hat and Canonical (makers of Ubuntu) are holding their ground. Red Hat says it will not pay "innovation tax" to Microsoft, while Canonical's Mark Shuttleworth more poetically describes the aforementioned deals as, "Trinkets in exchange for air kisses." As far as we can tell, that's the kind of talk that immediately precedes a bar brawl.[Via Digg]
Red Hat plans low cost Linux "Global Desktop" OS
What with the OLPC project and Intel planning to make cheap computing for the masses, we've got to wonder what the world was playing at up until now. As the horribly termed "emerging markets" start to emerge, Red Hat is getting into the low cost computing game with the "Red Hat Global Desktop," a low requirement operating system and software package which was announced at the Red Hat Summit in San Diego. The system will include a range of productivity applications, management systems that work on a scale of 10 to 10,000, plus what the Red Hat guys call a "modern user experience": fingers crossed that means no command lines. The Global Desktop is part of Red Hat's involvement with the One Laptop Per Child project, but it'll also be supported on Intel's range of lower specification and cost computer line, if your wish is to replace Microsoft's little OS.[Via The Inquirer]
Negroponte suggests the OLPC can support Windows, may hit US schools
Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about the OLPC, Negroponte, and the Sugar interface, in comes the man himself using the "W" word in an open-sourced conversation. Curiously enough, Nik Neg has not only stated that the present is "perhaps the most critical stage of the OLPC's life," but he also blurted out a quasi-firm $176 pricetag that would be attached to them. Additionally, he went so far as to admit that "XO's developers have been working with Microsoft so a version of Windows can run on the machines," and while no direct linkages were drawn to the recent $3 software package that the firm had announced, the writing is somewhat on the wall. Furthermore, a whopping 19 state governors have reportedly shown interest in grabbing a few of the inexpensive machines for their own schoolkids, and while the creator initially stated that the XOs were "designed for a totally different situation," he was also quoted as saying that business in the US "couldn't be ignored." C'mon guys and gals, how about a little less conversation and a little more action?Read - Hints of Windows on OLPCRead - US schools could adopt OLPC
