Linux News: Developer

VMware Laps Up SpringSource
August 11, 2009

VMware is acquiring SpringSource, an enterprise and Web application development and management company, to eventually build out a Platform as a Service offering. Under the terms of the agreement, VMware will pay approximately $362 million in cash and equity, and it will assume approximately $58 million of unvested stock and options.

On Bugs, Viruses, Malware and Linux
August 10, 2009

Among all the reasons geeks choose Linux, security is often near the top of the list. And no wonder -- personal preferences aside on all the other many relevant issues, there's plenty of evidence to suggest our favorite operating system really is more impervious.

Speculation Sizzles Over Google's On2 Buy
August 06, 2009

Google will be acquiring video compression technology provider On2 Technologies in a stock deal valued at $106.5 million. The deal, which requires On2 shareholder and regulatory approval, is expected to close in Q4. Speculation over Google's plans for the On2 technology is rampant.

Coding and the Meaning of Life
August 03, 2009

As the month of July petered out, so did the patience of Alan Cox, who ended his long tenure as maintainer of the Linux kernel's tty subsystem. Following what seemed to be a fairly bitter argument between Cox and Linus Torvalds over a particularly controversial bug, Cox announced that he would not remain in the role any longer.

1 Million Linux Kernels Booted for Vast Botnet Simulation
July 31, 2009

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have laid the groundwork for an unprecedented simulation of a large-scale botnet after booting up 1 million Linux kernels as virtual machines. They now are waiting for completion of a new, faster and more capable supercomputer on which they hope to run 10 million kernels in a simulation of the open Internet.

Shill-Shocked: The Dark Side of Community Discussion
July 30, 2009

Name-calling and accusations are nothing new on the Linux blogs, but lately the mud-slinging has become so intense that it seems fair to say a good cleaning is in order, for the walls and floors are covered. Much of the recent ferocity has sprung up over the seemingly never-ending Mono debate.

On Pi Approximation Day, Flying Pigs and DRM
July 27, 2009

America's Independence Day may have come and gone, but that doesn't mean there's been nothing else to celebrate as the summer wears on. No indeed! Last Wednesday was none other than Pi Approximation Day, an event of perhaps even greater import for geeks far and wide. Traditional celebrations include marching in circles and eating pie.

A Summer of Linux Delights
July 23, 2009

There's nothing like good, clean Linuxy fun to perk up the dog days of summer. What's a little heat, after all, when you can cool off watching your favorite OS on the silver screen? "Skydiving Tux," "Worm Detected" and "Linux Beauty" are among the gems on Carla Schroder's YouTube list. We'd only add the recent clip of RMS dancing at FISL 10 in Brazil. You just can't buy entertainment like that!

Adobe Bulks Up Open Source Street Creds
July 21, 2009

Adobe has released two new platform initiatives for developers and content publishers: Open Source Media Framework, previously part of the Strobe project, gives developers new open source tools to build media players based on the Adobe Flash Platform; Text Layout Framework, or TLF, provides developers with new typography capabilities to Web applications.

Palm's Mojo Risin'
July 17, 2009

Palm issued a public release of the Mojo software development kit for its new webOS operating system, in what could possibly be a response to leaks of the SDK in June. The SDK, given a limited release in April, had been slated for public release by the end of summer. Palm's take is that the public release follows the success of its early access program.

On Patents, Promises and 'Ugly' Patches
July 16, 2009

It was once written that promises are most given when the least is said. Lately, however, a great deal has been said about Redmond's latest round of promises. For those who haven't been following the story, it all began when Microsoft's Peter Galli announced last week that his company had applied its "Community Promise" to the C# and CLI programming languages.

Where Does Android Stop and Chrome Begin?
July 14, 2009

With Google targeting the netbook with both its Chrome and Android operating systems, which way should developers jump? Should they pick Chrome, the browser that will soon become an OS and is likely to face strong competition from Microsoft and Apple? Or should they go with Android, an OS that has so far been targeted mostly at smartphones, a category poised for strong growth?

Reflections on a Chrome-Plated World
July 13, 2009

Some weeks, there's just no question what topics need to be covered here on the Linux Blog Safari. Take last week, for example. On blog after blog, our travels throughout the Linux blogosphere revealed countless variations on the same, underlying theme: the announcement of Google's Chrome operating system.

10 Things for Linux Desktop Evangelists to Ponder
July 10, 2009

This is the year of the Linux Desktop! Oh, um, so was `expr ${THISYEAR} - 1`. No, wait. It was `expr ${THISYEAR} - 2`. Just kidding. Next year is the year of the Linux Desktop! Of course, many continue to dream and hope, cajole, and demand that one of these years be the year of the Linux Desktop. I'm a big fan, and I'm pulling for Linux's success, but it's a complex formula that determines if and when.

What I Need to Help Sell Linux
June 26, 2009

I believe with the right approach, Linux can take a great chunk of the market; you just have to give the market what it needs and wants, while allaying its fears. What's needed is a true Linux SMB Edition, targeting specifically the needs and fears of those businesses that are using Windows -- especially those that are still using Windows 2000, which is going to lose support in 2010.

Flash to Brighten Most Smartphones - iPhone, BlackBerry to Stay Dim
June 23, 2009

With the news that its omnipresent-on-the-desktop Flash player will be available in more mobile forms before the end of the year, Adobe is finally following through on its goal of joining the smartphone party -- but the two biggest names in that market are still missing from the invitation list.