China DOS Union

Resisting Microsoft's power is urgent: unified Linux version to launch at the end of this month


2002-11-05 08:39:00 ZDNet China



　　Based on the SuSE Linux Enterprise Edition, UnitedLinux 1.0, an integrated Linux version combining Linux from Turbolinux, Conectiva, and SCO Group, is about to officially launch in November; SCO Group, Taiwan's only foreign Linux company, will also release its Linux server edition SCO Linux 4.0, based on UnitedLinux 1.0, in Taiwan at the end of November. As standard Linux operating systems and non-Microsoft products such as Sun StarSuite 6.0 and Red Flag office software gradually enter the Taiwan market, they are bound to pose a greater threat to Microsoft in the future.

　 Linux, which has always emphasized openness, used to give people the impression of acting separately and being split apart because of its many versions, and this also caused compatibility and testing/certification problems for program development. Therefore, in mid-2002, four Linux vendors—SuSE, Turbolinux (already acquired by a Japanese vendor and renamed SRA), Conectiva, and SCO Group—formed the UnitedLinux alliance, using SuSE's Linux Enterprise Edition as the basis to promote standardization among the four Linux versions. After half a year of development, UnitedLinux 1.0 will be launched globally at the end of November. In the future, the four vendors will sell the base version of UnitedLinux, but can add different packages of their own, use different product names, and also decide their own prices.

　 SCO Group, the only Linux vendor with a branch office in Taiwan, will also introduce the company's UnitedLinux-based Linux operating system SCO Linux 4.0 at the end of November. Li Zhongwei, general manager of SCO Taiwan and Hong Kong, pointed out that because the unified UnitedLinux can shorten the time needed for product platform testing and certification, vendors including software suppliers and OEM hardware manufacturers all have high hopes for the product. He said that since Linux currently already has an advantage over Microsoft's NT servers in the server market, SCO Linux 4.0, now about to debut, will first release a server edition, while the desktop Linux version is expected in the second half of 2003. As for price, UnitedLinux 1.０ is currently priced overseas at slightly above US$600, while the price of SCO Linux 4.0 has not yet been decided.

　 The launch of UnitedLinux 1.0 will not only create a competitive situation in the Linux market with UnitedLinux and Red Hat as the two main streams, it will also strengthen the Linux camp's leverage in competing with Microsoft. Starting in mid-2002, office software from Sun and Red Flag, along with the standardized SCO Linux 4.0, have successively entered Taiwan, giving enterprise customers more choices in software use. With the dual advantages of prices more than half lower than Microsoft's and stable quality, these non-Microsoft products, still newcomers to the market, will inevitably put greater pressure on Microsoft once their future market promotion becomes more mature.

SuSE's dangerous journey: letting Linux run the Windows express


2002-11-01 12:15:00 PConline



　　Yesterday, Linux company SuSE claimed that it would release a new version of Linux in January next year that would allow Windows desktop users to switch to SuSE's Linux operating system. This system is specially designed for office staff, and includes software components that allow Microsoft Office and other Windows applications to run. (See PConline's "SuSE opens the Linux desktop to the Windows operating system" for details.) This move by SuSE sparked a round of discussion between two PConline editors (Huang Yuexing and TT). After the discussion, the editors felt the content was quite interesting, so they整理ed it for everyone’s reference:

　　News about applications, right? This news has something in common with last year's much-talked-about Lindows, which used a Linux architecture to run Wini applications.

TT: So what about that?

Huang Yuexing: Is it because last time you downloaded Lindows to install it, and it crashed halfway through the installation, so you felt this kind of software was more show than substance, lacking stability, and you've already lost interest in this sort of gimmick?

TT: No, the trademark issue isn't a big deal. I just think they can't avoid the Windows API patent issue, yet all the introductory articles fail to mention the Windows API patent issue. If one day Microsoft uses patents to make trouble for them, then they won't have any room to survive. Standards can be made public, but whether Microsoft approves you using them is another question.

Huang Yuexing: Since Microsoft only went after the Lindows name, saying it was too similar to Windows and taking Lindows to court over that, but didn't use any other patents to make trouble, I guess the problem isn't serious.

TT: Here's how I see it: if Microsoft expands the win32 API and changes the licensing agreement so that it no longer authorizes opensource use, this idea is dead immediately.

Huang Yuexing: Although Microsoft has always been hostile toward open-source organizations, there has been no legal action so far. Microsoft has always been known for decisive action. Back then, when they used IE against Netscape, they bundled it for free and brought Netscape down within two or three years. If they wanted to use legal means to fight open-source organizations, they should have acted long ago.

TT: If this thing doesn't do well in the market, Microsoft naturally won't bother with it, just like Lindows (why hasn't Microsoft made things too difficult for it? Because MS doesn't think much of it at all). But if it works well, then it becomes a threat to win, and MS will definitely make a move. Don't forget, the winAPI may be public, but it isn't open—this is a basic concept.

Huang Yuexing: If that's the case, then what do you think about SuSe's future?

TT: SuSe will later be a member of United Linux. That should be next year. I heard the first disc is the system disc, the same for everyone, and only the Application Disc after the second CD is different. Each company has its own way of packaging it.

Huang Yuexing: Whether it's Lindows or what SUSE is doing, although it looks beautiful, it still hasn't caused any real market sensation. Wal-Mart is now selling ultra-cheap PCs preinstalled with Lindows, but that still doesn't mean crowds are rushing out to buy them.

TT: I've privately talked about this thing with friends at Microsoft. They still don't think highly enough of it—how can it be called a “competitor”?

IBM firmly supports Linux, wants to dump Microsoft's “Windows system”?


2002-10-28 11:10:00 Southern Daily



　　“IBM will preinstall the Linux operating system on all PCs.” Recently, a Shanghai media outlet published a report without indicating the source, claiming that IBM was making “a big gamble.” As soon as the news spread, it caused a huge shock in the industry—if IBM's PCs fully turned to Linux, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous blow to Microsoft's Windows operating system.

　　Easy to say, not so easy to abandon

　　IBM has always been a firm supporter and promoter of Linux. This year its spending related to Linux has reached US$1 billion, accounting for 20% of its R&D budget. The Linux operating system provided by IBM has already been widely used in the server field, and is now being expanded into the high-end workstation market. In the end-user computer field, IBM has indeed already released several notebook computers and desktop PCs capable of running multiple Linux versions, but completely shaking off Windows is not an easy matter.

　　That media report said that because it uses Microsoft's operating system, IBM has to pay excessively high fees every year. A Linux system, however, can span all IBM machines, which would save IBM a large sum of money.

　　Indeed, Linux costs far less than Windows, but as everyone knows, in the PC field Linux is still rather weak, while Windows occupies a monopolistic position. Saying you will completely abandon Microsoft is easy enough—but will users accept it?

　　IBM issues a denial statement

　　On the 25th, the reporter received IBM's official statement, tactfully denying the rumor of fully preinstalling Linux. According to the statement, there was a period when IBM preinstalled Linux on certain selected PC models, but the sales volume was pitifully small. “At present, customer interest in Linux is steadily increasing, but it is still limited to a relatively small segment of consumers, most of them because they have some specific requirements.”

　　“Users want IBM's Linux solutions because we can provide end-to-end solutions, not merely make a PC run Linux,” said an IBM spokesperson. In fact, the plan to preinstall Linux across the board on PCs has already been dropped by IBM. “We have now decided to replace the original approach with a focused customized solution.” It is understood that IBM will continue to support the development of Linux on notebook computers and desktop computers in a customized way according to user needs.

　　However, wherever there is closure, there will inevitably be people seeking openness. What people criticize about Microsoft Windows is not only its high price, but more importantly its closed technology and standards. In contrast, Linux was open-source from the very beginning, and thus won the welcome of developers and users. In the server field, Linux has been advancing triumphantly and has already captured nearly 30% of the market share; although Linux has not yet become a force in the PC field, once someone has established new rules, when the time is ripe, someone will not hesitate to reject Microsoft.　　

A report says Linux and .Net will dominate the server OS market by 2009


2002-10-29 14:12:00 Chinabyte



　　According to a report issued on October 28 by IT analysis company Butler Group, open-source Linux and Microsoft's .Net will continue to weaken Unix's dominant position in the server operating system market, and by 2009 Linux will become a mainstream server operating system.

　　In a statement summarizing its report titled "Server Operating Systems━━Winners and Losers in the Open/Proprietary Operating System Market," Butler Group said that although Unix systems from HP, IBM, and Sun will still be the leading players in the server operating system market before 2004, over the next seven years Linux and .Net will gradually move up from file and print server systems to mainframe-class servers, thereby taking over the server operating system market.

　　Butler Group said that within the next three years Linux will make major progress in the file and print server market. It can replace Microsoft's

　　Windows NT, and can also serve as a low-cost substitute for other systems. In addition to low cost and service quality, IT managers are also looking for server operating systems that can provide a more secure and efficient infrastructure, as well as make applications easier to maintain and deploy. When making purchasing decisions, IT managers hope vendors can provide clear product development plans and support industry standards, all of which favors Linux.

　　Linux also has other advantages: it can run on all kinds of hardware, from low-end Intel-chip servers to large servers, and more and more independent software developers have begun porting their applications to the Linux operating system.

　　Since Linux will replace low-end Unix within the next 3-5 years and eat into a considerable share of the Windows market, even small businesses should begin adopting Linux and gain experience and skills in using open-source servers.

　　The current server market is beginning to demand server operating systems that are small and simple, and can meet the two primary goals of virtual (or distributed) servers and resource management.

　　Butler Group said that the entire computing industry urgently needs to cooperate on standards for the next generation of server operating systems, in preparation for the emergence of grid computing and Web services over the next decade.

The operating system market stirs up waves, Linux is making even Microsoft rather uncomfortable


2002-10-31 13:20:00 Xinkuai Daily



　　Xinkuai Daily reporter Huang Lexin

　　Choose Microsoft or LINUX? This is the difficult problem facing all hardware manufacturers. Recently, news that IBM intended to abandon Microsoft and place its bet on LINUX immediately caused an uproar in the industry as soon as it came out. It was said that IBM would preinstall the LINUX operating system on all PCs.

　　Although IBM issued an official statement on the 25th of this month denying the news that it was getting cozy with LINUX, this undoubtedly sent a signal to Microsoft, the boss of operating system software—the weight is tilting toward LINUX, and this trend is spreading from the high-end hardware server field to the PC market.

　　The server market pattern originally dominated by UNIX and Microsoft's operating systems is gradually being replaced by a three-way coexistence of UNIX, LINUX, and Microsoft. As for IBM itself, what it has done in this process is simply cater to customer demand.

　　IBM's financial report for the third quarter of this year shows that in mainframe sales, sales of products with new computing capacity increased by 7%, and 45% of this growth came from customers using the LINUX operating system.

　　IBM has benefited very obviously from this. Industry insiders analyze that IBM will rely on LINUX to solve some problems that have long troubled this blue giant: because it uses Microsoft's and Sun's operating systems, IBM has to pay excessively high fees every year, whereas using LINUX does not require that.

　　In fact, IBM is not worried about whether LINUX is inferior to WINDOWS, because in IBM's transformation, service items such as solutions and personnel training are what can bring IBM profits, and LINUX's shortcomings happen to highlight IBM's outstanding strengths in overall service.

　　Microsoft's high prices have long made more than one OEM PC manufacturer hesitate. The person in charge of the product department of CS&S Network Technology once revealed to this reporter that the CS&S LINUX product they provide to domestic OEM PC makers such as Shenzhou Computer is priced at less than 1/10 of Microsoft's preinstalled WINDOWS.

　　And on the matter of price, Microsoft has never loosened its stance. The head of Microsoft China said that Microsoft has no plan to reduce the price of its Windows products.

　　Then Microsoft will face a very awkward situation. On one side, LINUX is blossoming everywhere in the high-end market, and on the other, in the PC market, LINUX is pressing forward step by step—surely the price of software purchases will increasingly become a fundamental issue.

Japanese government to stop using Microsoft's Windows system to protect computer network security


2002-11-20 13:22:00 China News Service



　　China News Service, Nov. 20 — The Japanese government is considering replacing Microsoft's Windows operating system with another operating system in order to strengthen computer network security.




　　At present, most of the relevant equipment in Japanese government computer networks is using the Windows operating system. But the Japanese government is very interested in adopting other operating systems, especially some open-source programs. Reports indicate that the advantage of open-source programs is that, unlike Microsoft, they do not require users to pay licensing fees, and they can be modified according to individual needs because their source code is free. This makes it easy for system operators to deal with the various problems they face.

　　Since a data leak occurred in a computer network used by the Japanese military in August this year, the Japanese government has paid special attention to computer network security. It is said that one long-term goal of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's “electronic government” plan is to protect network security.

LINUX system vendors say: there is no way out in following behind Microsoft


2002-11-20 09:03:00 Nikkei BP



　　【Reported by Nikkei BP】“In the past, we used Linux to move into the server business that Microsoft had already entered. Facts have proved that this strategy was wrong.” These were the words of Kubo Motoharu, president of veteran Linux system integrator 3Ware. 3Ware's thinking is: “Scale back the all-out system integration business, and concentrate efforts on developing specialized systems with Linux characteristics” (Kubo Motoharu).




　　The specific measures are: focus on developing systems for particular uses such as shopping websites and videoconferencing systems. On the operating system side, use “Z-Linux,” adapted from Red Hat Linux. Then successively launch dedicated systems (appliances) integrating Z-Linux with hardware. As for sales and marketing, cooperate with other system integrators.

　　In September this year, the company had already launched the application product “Z-Linux Kaihatsuten” through Nichimen Computer Systems Co. to support the building of sales websites. Including hardware and maintenance, the price is 980,000 yen (about RMB 61,300). In addition, it has also drawn up development plans for portal sites and B2B e-commerce transactions, and has begun cooperating in sales with integrators other than Nichimen Computer.

　　Z-Linux includes a “FlashDisk option.” This optional function can compress and store software including Linux itself, as well as hardware configuration information, into a dedicated CompactFlash. When the hard disk fails, Linux can be booted directly from the CompactFlash. “Although Linux itself is a stable operating system, by providing the FlashDisk option, even if a failure occurs there is no need for an operator to rush to the site. We also hope this function can be used in KIOSK terminals and remote servers” (Kubo Motoharu).

　　3Ware began Linux system integration at the same time it was founded in 1997. At the time, as a pioneer in Linux system integration, it was featured by various media. Now three employees are working to recast its former glory.

But in fact it was never truly unified; it was still mainly divided into two groups.