[Sheflug] Topics for discussion

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <nospam [at] sk.tsukuba.ac.jp>]

>>>>> "Steve" == Steve Tickle <s.tickle [at] quarndon.co.uk> writes:

    >> Analysts say that AMD now has a clear lead in processors, and
    >> that Intel launched the 1.13 GHz Pentium III before it was
    >> completely ready in an attempt to remain competitive.

Little Linux knocks off Intel, wow.  This is a very good sign, that
Intel takes Linux sufficiently seriously that a moslty Linux-specific
bug causes a recall.

    >> 2. Dream Team Sponsors Linux Lab

    >> Computing heavyweights IBM, NEC, Intel, Dell Computer and
    >> Hewlett Packard are joining with Linux companies to coax the
    >> operating system into high-end, multiprocessor machines, the
    >> companies announced last week. The computing powerhouses are
    >> joining forces to create a laboratory where open-source
    >> programmers can improve the performance of Linux and associated

AFAIK this is basically a lie.  It mostly be targeted at products that
are now and for the forseeable future will remain closed-source.

    >> software on these expensive servers. The new Open-Source
    >> Development Laboratories, due to receive multi-million dollar
    >> funding annually from the companies participating, will provide
    >> a way for independent programmers to push Linux into this
    >> high-prestige domain.  Source: CNet News

This is also a lie; the programmers may be independent, but I doubt
that the funding will come without strings attached.  You'll have to
work on their projects, and very likely will have to sign NDAs.

That said, I consider this to be a good thing.  Linux itself will
remain open source and will benefit from (a) more and better apps and
(b) R&D which must be returned to the code base.  Note that Apache
greatly benefits from a similar consortium, and in the case of Apache
there is no "clause 6":  the consortium members are free to take the
code and distribute under proprietary license.  But they don't.

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