I’m extremely proud to launch a major addition in our legal programs today: the Open Compliance Program.
 
Those of you who follow Linux know its use as an embedded OS has skyrocketed in recent memory, delivering a sea change in the consumer electronics and mobile industries. We think complying with open source licenses is relatively straightforward and far easier than complying with proprietary licenses, especially in an enterprise software setting. (Just ask a CIO who has an undergone a software audit recently. And that’s most of them.) But knowledge, after all, is power. And some companies need help, especially operationally, in defining and following best practices. That’s where we come in. We have the collective experience of our staff as well as the ability to galvanize our members to deliver information, training, tools and a standard that will help the industry coalesce around best practices and save money at the same time. Just as in open source, we feel collaborative development and re-use of resources in compliance matters will deliver great efficiencies of scale. We fully expect the Open Compliance Program to deliver real cost savings to all who participate as well as enable companies to fulfill their license obligations.
 
We have support from virtually every major player in the world of enterprise and mobile computing: Adobe, AMD, Cisco Systems, Google, HP, IBM, Intel, NEC, Nokia, Novell, Samsung, Sony Electronics and many more. We also have support of the legal community including Eben Moglen of the Software Freedom Law Center and others. We are able to generate this type of support partly because of the kind of organization we are (a nonprofit foundation) but also because we benefit from having members who are already very good at collaborating on open source matters, and because this program is the right choice at the right time.
 
I also want to be very clear: complying with open source licenses is actually easier than complying with proprietary ones. (One reason: there is no money involved.) There are countless software audits of users every year, and settlements often range in the tens of millions for large companies. You may not have heard about those cases since they do not get the attention the very few open source cases do, but make no mistake, complying with proprietary licenses is not easy or cheap.
 
Three things you should know about the Open Compliance Program
 
1. It will lower costs for every company who uses open source by giving training, a guidebook of best practices and access to resources to make it much simpler to comply with license obligations

2. It will help spread the use of open source software as it will eliminate the very few legal cases and most importantly the FUD around legal compliance that some vendors like to spread.

3. It’s a collaborative project. The tools are open source and we welcome participation in making them better. The SPDX workgroup welcomes participation from all in the consumer electronics supply chain. Please download our resources and sign up to receive the checklist and give us your best practices at compliance (at) linuxfoundation dot org.
 
This program augments our other protection programs, which include The Linux Foundation Legal Summits, administering the Linux trademark, education and collaboration on patent issues, and more.
 
I hope you find this program useful. You can find details here. We are very excited to deliver what we feel is real value in the legal arena and we continue to add to our work in promoting, protecting and advancing the Linux operating system.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Collaborative development has leveled the playing field and given power to the individual. One young man from Finland started a project, invited others to help, and started a computing revolution. Today two people can use cloud services and free software to start businesses that before needed millions of VC funding. Small device manufacturers, by using open source, can now use the same software used by industry giants. There has been one space missing, however: large scale super computing.

We’re pleased to see OpenStack, the new open source project for cloud computing projects from Rackspace and NASA. In the past, only large institutions like NASA had access to super computing functionality to complete large-scale computational projects. NASA has donated the code they have developed to manage their environments to the OpenStack project to allow others to tap into the same power. With OpenStack, “using these components, organizations would be able to turn physical hardware into scalable and extensible cloud environments using the same code currently in production serving tens of thousands of customers and large government projects.”

Imagine the possibilities of scientists around the world able to tap into this computing power. Innovation in cloud computing will impact innovation in such endeavors as climate science, DNA modeling, and medical research. I would argue there is probably no other area of innovation that will garner as much return.

But there is more to OpenStack: it also gets the power of open standards and how this relates to the cloud. Cloud Computing is the wild west of computing right now with competing strategies and technologies fighting for dominance. The Linux Foundation is pleased to see this new entry that is based on open, collaborative development as well as open standards. Without open standards in cloud computing, we could be headed to the same vendor lock that once gripped the industry. Based on what I can see from the Open Stack project, Rackspace’s aim seems to be to eliminate vendor lock in. If so, I think we will see a huge acceleration in cloud uptake by companies small and large who have been hesitant to enter.

This is a bold move by Rackspace, “giving away” what many would see as their proprietary technology and enabling others to compete with them. It echoes previous moves, however, that turned out very well for the companies involved. Just look at the balance sheets of Red Hat or IBM to see the result of embracing open source and collaborative development models. When individuals have the power to start projects and invite others to join them, great things can happen. Just ask that guy from Finland. Let’s keep an eye on Open Stack: I think we all may benefit.

Popularity: 6% [?]

The iPhone 4 came out this week. Apple continues to raise the bar for the mobile software industry in terms of good design. Companies that have embraced Linux should take heed. I ask the question as to whether or not Linux can beat Apple today in Businessweek.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Lately I have been hearing criticism about embedded Linux and how fragmentation, as represented by the many flourishing Linux projects such as Meego, Android and webOS, is bad and dangerous for Linux; these critics suggest that fragmentation will hinder Linux’ ability to compete with companies like Microsoft and Apple. I disagree, which is not surprising. But the market and marketing strategists also disagree. Citing the familiar ogre of fragmentation shows a limited view of the Linux economy.

The Linux platform is both fragmented and unified.

Linux already has a unified base: it’s called upstream components. An Embedded Linux OS, just like an enterprise Linux OS, is comprised of core upstream components like the Linux kernel. First, at the kernel level — where most hardware support happens including all driver support — the Linux ecosystem is extremely unified. Device makers or silicon suppliers that wish to support their hardware with Linux - whatever the variety - simply contribute code to the mainline Linux kernel project hosted at kernel.org. Use a mainline kernel and you are using the right base. Recently Google has been working with the kernel community to ensure their drivers are in the mainline kernel and great progress has been made to “unify” Android with the mainline kernel.

Linux distributions are also unified at the core library level. In addition to the kernel, you have projects like X.org, glibc, gstreamer, Gnome, QT, webkit, CUPS, clutter, etc. These are all example of core libraries that generally are included in almost every variant of mobile Linux; Chrome, Android, MeeGo, WebOS, LiMo, etc. They all use these same “base” components. In the MeeGo project, for example, the development philosophy echos this with an “upstream first” mantra. Most of the actual coding for MeeGo or many of these other Linux distributions takes place upstream. That means that when Meego contributes upstream, all downstream distributions benefit. This is the same in the server and desktop market, and why it’s so important for distributions to focus their development upstream.

There is an area of fragmentation: it is within the application ecosystem and API. Application APIs are defined at a higher level where the market often decides which version of Linux will dominate. In many cases there are multiple versions of Linux that succeed in the market. Google’s Linux-based mobile OS Android handles application compatibility with their Java-based run time. Applications are made available to consumers through the Android marketplace. WebOS (soon to be HP’s Linux variant) has a similar approach, though with a different run time and SDK. MeeGo has an SDK based on Qt, which can be used to create apps that run on Symbian, Mac, Windows, or MeeGo. Even the Amazon Kindle has an application SDK.

These are not random versions of Linux; each effort is critically backed by a combination of major industry players, each of which creates their own ecosystem; Google, HP, Intel, Nokia, Amazon, etc. How is this bad for Linux? Linux is about choice and allowing companies, projects and individuals to compete and thrive. API differentiation allows companies to compete and incents them to keep enhancing the platform. Actors can opt in or out of a Linux application API effort based on network benefits of that particular project and ease of participation.

Again, all good news for Linux and good news for the various ecosystem members, since they can now all share in the upstream improvements. Having various brands address a huge and growing market is not unique to embedded Linux. Just look at consumer brands and how Proctor and Gamble, for instance, will have multiple brands of diapers, just to ensure their products cover the market. Segmentation is a smart strategy, especially when you have Intel, Nokia, Google, HP, Motorola and more making products based on yours.

Android, Meego, Chrome and webOS are all Linux-based yet no one is confused about the kind of application they are building or which market they are reaching. The reality here is that aside from Apple, RIM, and Microsoft, almost no one is building client computing devices with anything but Linux. There will be multiple application ecosystems on top of the various Linux systems that will remain unified at the lower levels of the computing stack. This provides an excellent balance of shared R&D and market competition. What is important now is for industry players to align themselves with one or more of the Linux efforts which are backed by credible industry players and make sure that those efforts continue to develop their code upstream. Will we see more efforts? Perhaps, but hat we don’t want to see is the creation of yet another effort in the name of “unification” if it attempts to restrict, dictate or reinvent technologies or processes that already work.

The market doesn’t seem to think Linux fragmentation at the application level is a problem at all. The world’s largest chip maker and the world’s largest mobile handset maker just merged two Linux efforts into one, based on Linux. More and more hardware OEM’s and carriers are jumping on board MeeGo. Android just surpassed the Apple iPhone in unit shipments. HP just paid over a billion dollars to use webOS as a platform for their own devices, while at the same time dumping their tablet project with Microsoft. Linux dominates market share in embedded systems. We are in the early stages of a very long game in mobile computing and I for one am glad that Linux is so massively hedged.

Popularity: 18% [?]

For those of us that have worked for years in open source, rumors in the press of IBM “breaking its open source patent pledge” were met with a bit of dismay. IBM is one of the top contributors to the Linux kernel and dozens of critical open source projects. For more than a decade IBM has been a good citizen in the open source community.

To get to the bottom of things I contacted Dan Frye, VP of Open Systems Development at IBM and member of the Linux Foundations board of directors, to “say it wasn’t so.” Fortunately all of us can breathe easy - IBM remains true to their word. Here is the note I received from Dan which is very clear:

Jim,

There’s been recent interest in IBM’s “500 patent” pledge made in 2005 and how it applies today. It’s always important to get the facts, and the words of the pledge itself are the facts we need.

“The pledge will benefit any Open Source Software. Open Source Software is any computer software program whose source code is published and available for inspection and use by anyone, and is made available under a license agreement that permits recipients to copy, modify and distribute the program’s source code without payment of fees or royalties. All licenses certified by opensource.org and listed on their website as of 01/11/2005 are Open Source Software licenses for the purpose of this pledge.

“IBM hereby commits not to assert any of the 500 U.S. patents listed below, as well as all counterparts of these patents issued in other countries, against the development, use or distribution of Open Source Software.”

IBM stands by this 2005 Non-Assertion Pledge today as strongly as it did then. IBM will not sue for the infringement of any of those 500 patents by any Open Source Software.

Thanks.

Daniel Frye
VP, Open Systems Development
IBM Linux Technology Center

Popularity: 20% [?]

Earlier this week, IBM announced a cloud computing program offering development and test services for companies and governments. That doesn’t sound like much, yet on closer inspection it’s a flagstone in the march toward a comprehensive cloud offering at Big Blue. It also demonstrates how operational efficiency is a competitive weapon in our service economy. Let me explain.

As the IT industry shifts from a product base economy to a service-based economy, operational competency is a competitive weapon. Contrast this with the past where companies could rely on closed-APIs, vendor lock in or the reliance on vast resources to build business and keep out the competition. Today, anyone with a good idea can connect to a cloud provider and build a software business over-night –- without massive investment dollars. Instead of forcing people to pay for a CD with your software on it, you deliver a service. In that type of environment where service is king, operational efficiency is crucial. It’s the company with the best execution and operational excellence that prospers. Yes, it’s leveled the playing field, yet ironically the cloud providers themselves are the best examples of operational excellence being the competitive advantage of the 21st century.

There are a few companies who can affect these economies of scale and create these cloud offerings: Google, Amazon, and now IBM. All of these cloud offerings run on Linux. (Microsoft will likely enter the fray with a Windows-based offering at some point.) These large giants who have built their own businesses via their operational excellence, now have the ability to drive down the cost of computing per CPU to rates that no one can compete with on their own. As InformationWeek writes: “IBM said it believes customers can cut IT labor costs by 50% and reduce software defects by 30% by moving development to the cloud.

The problem with internal development and test environments, IBM said, is that they consume as much as 50% of an organization’s entire IT infrastructure but typically remain idle 90% of the time.”

In typical IBM fashion they have focused on those workloads that make the most sense for Cloud computing. Their offering will allow customers to focus their own operations on production environments, while reducing costs in development and test services.

Why Linux?

Linux is the operating system of the cloud. Why is every cloud provider using Linux?

• Linux can be optimized for powerful parallelized computing to run these types of environments efficiently. IBM is using KVM, built into every Linux kernel, to power their offerings and partnering with Red Hat, a company based entirely on open source and known for its technical skills and high levels of service.
• Linux has tremendous power management capabilities. This is due in part to the focus on enterprise Linux by companies such as IBM, Red Hat and Novell to bring the cost of running a data center down. But Linux also benefits from technical innovation by mobile/embedded developers who are using Linux in those devices and need advanced power management features.
• Linux because it is open and not optimized for a specific architecture can run on a multitude of hardware options, bringing down the price for the vendors building these massive data farms. Because Linux is open, IBM has optimized Linux for its mainframe computers, giving them an advantage operationally.
• It’s pricing model. You can’t build a data farm and charge $.15/per CPU hour if you have to write a check to Redmond or anyone else for every server. Microsoft may be able to run a cloud business with MSFT products, but anyone else who actually has to pay for them would not.
• Linux is the development platform of choice in today’s world. IBM couldn’t offer a Linux-based development and test Cloud service if companies weren’t developing on Linux. Linux has steadily gained momentum as the development platform of choice, largely due to the points mentioned above that make it a great candidate for cloud computing platforms.
• Ownership. I experienced this in the late 90’s as one of the founders of a “cloud services” company called Corio, which offered hosted enterprise applications (we called cloud “application service providers” then). We were required to disclose a risk in our public offering S-1 filing that stated “We depend on software vendors to supply us with the software necessary to provide our services, and the loss of access to this software or any decline or obsolescence in its functionality could cause our customers’ businesses to suffer, which, in turn, could harm our revenues and increase our costs.” If we had run our business on open source software we would have owned our own software and this risk would not have existed. This may be the single biggest advantage to Linux in the cloud. Ask yourself if Google could be the company they are today if their search engine was built on .NET servers.

The nascent history of our service-based economy is littered with companies who have failed because of a lack of operational excellence. One example: Friendster. Back in 2003, Friendster had all the momentum. Before Facebook or Twitter or even MySpace, Friendster had amassed the first-mover advantage which is usually so important. Unfortunately, the company didn’t scale and delivered innumerable uptime problems. (I remember since I was an early subscriber.) They let poor development and operational issues sink their site, providing a bad customer experience. Users flocked to Facebook, Twitter, et al, and now Friendster is a marginal regional player at best. There were no cloud offerings at the time to help Friendster scale. Perhaps if they could have outsourced their development and test operations to IBM and focused their efforts on production, the Linux Foundation would be touting its Friendster page instead of its Twitter and Facebook accounts (nearly 25,000 members by the way.)

I have a feeling this is just one of a series of cloud announcements by IBM. We are pleased to see another Linux-based cloud offering now available to create innovative service-based companies in the future.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Microsoft today issued a news release to announce a patent cross-license agreement with Amazon. And, the news release, in the lead, explicitly calls out a set of technologies covered by the agreement: the Kindle, which employs open source software, and Amazon’s use of Linux-based servers.

Companies reach broad cross-license agreements all the time, never disclose the patents involved and don’t often issue press releases about it. Amazing how despite the “broad range of products and technology” covered in their cross license, Microsoft chose to focus on Linux and open source - distinctly calling it out from “proprietary software” and wasn’t specific about any patents.

It is worth noting that most technology companies have invested heavily in patents and that a cross-licensing agreement is a non-news event. The fact that two entities with expensive stockpiles of outdated weapons felt the need to negotiate détente is not surprising.

Let’s avoid second-guessing and implication. There’s nothing to see here. We have real code to write.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Bringing the Magic to Linux with MeeGo

A few weeks ago, I wrote that the Linux Foundation was going to put its money where its mouth is in order to create more “magic” on Linux. Today the Linux operating system market just got a lot more interesting with the announcement of MeeGo.

MeeGo combines Intel’s Moblin and Nokia’s Maemo projects at the Linux Foundation to create one open source uber-platform for the next generation of computing devices: tablets, pocketable computers, netbooks, automotive IVI and more.

Why should you pay attention to this announcement? With MeeGo you have the world’s largest chip manufacturer and the world’s largest mobile handset manufacturer joining forces to create an incredible opportunity for developers who want to reach millions of users with innovative technology.

Thinking Bigger

Two trends are shaping the need for MeeGo: First, the ubiquitous internet where there is constant connection regardless of location. Second, the ability to access that connection through a variety of devices: in your pocket, in your car or your kitchen, in the living room through your television and so on. No single device will fit every need, but they will all be connected in some way.

Many client Linux efforts to date have focused exclusively on desktop or smartphone segments. The time is now for a platform that is exclusively built to be used across a wide variety of devices, and that takes full advantage of the superior computing power of each device category – longer battery life, better screens, location services, touch, 4G broadband, new vehicle technology and stronger processors.

MeeGo is not an OS designed for a legacy purpose that is being crammed or expanded into a new device form. In other words, this isn’t a square peg in a round hole — MeeGo is a next generation mobile operating system designed for the next generation of mobile devices.

Thinking Broader

Luckily Intel and Nokia understand true innovation in computing is not restricted to private silos, no matter how big. They are opening up this platform to the broader community. MeeGo, as a project of the Linux Foundation, will use standard open source ingredients, like the Linux kernel, to optimize adoption by their many partners, and will encourage participation in its development efforts.

MeeGo isn’t just an important project at the Linux Foundation, it is also helpful for Linux as a platform. It combines mobile development resources that were recently split in the Maemo and Moblin projects into one well-supported, well-designed project that addresses cross-platform, cross-device and cross-architecture development. Android, ChromeOS, the Palm Pre, Bada, and dozens of traditional Linux desktop efforts use many of the components in MeeGo. They all benefit from the increased engineering efforts on those components. This is the power of the open source development model.

MeeGo is good news for network operators who want ways to add value to their networks without being locked into a single vendor. Meego is good news for device makers who want to create a unique experience across an array of device categories. Meego is good news for software developers who want consistent ways to develop apps for the “next big thing.” And, Meego is good news for consumers who will get incredible new ways to connect to the internet at increasingly lower costs.

Second “IBM moment” for Linux

There is history repeating itself here. A decade ago several computing industry giants pooled their resources behind one open platform: Linux. IBM, Intel, HP, NEC, Fujitsu, Hitachi and others worked in an open and collaborative fashion to develop the technology and market the platform. Linux became a truly disruptive force in the enterprise, unseating the last generation of proprietary operating systems and their high margins.

With Nokia and Intel’s might behind MeeGo, combined with Linux’ open source momentum, we are witnessing the launch of a new disruptive force for a new class of computing devices. These two organizations are not only the largest players in their respective fields but also have a history of building broad coalitions and reinventing themselves. Intel couldn’t be who they are today without their partners, and Nokia might still be in the paper business if they hadn’t reinvented themselves to capitalize on new markets.

What’s so Different About MeeGo?

I’d like to point out four key advantages to MeeGo:

* MeeGo was built for powerful next generation devices from the ground up; instead of a cell phone system trying to work in netbooks or a desktop system trying to work on phones, MeeGo has powerful computing in its DNA and will take advantage of new hardware form factors the industry hasn’t even dreamed up.

* It’s truly open, meaning it’s aligned with upstream components (like the Linux kernel, X.org, D-BUS, tracker, GStreamer, Pulseaudio and more) and takes full advantage of the open model. This reduces fragmentation and complexity for ecosystem partners and will make Linux as a whole stronger.

* Qt and application portability. Developers can target multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, Symbian, etc) and devices with a consistent application API and have them run across a broad range of devices. Consumers will want to access the same apps on various devices. Qt and MeeGo make that possible. Because it already reaches so many platforms, Qt is a safe bet for developers. Because it is already well used, it will make it easy to bring many apps from Windows and the Mac over to Linux.

* Cross-device support. Closed platforms (like Apple’s iPad) drive up costs for consumers and limit hardware choice. MeeGo is multi-architecture and can power a broad range of devices from your TV to your car to your pocketable computer to your phone. Consumers can keep their apps and use different devices from different producers.

Why the Linux Foundation?

Everyone who works at the Linux Foundation asks themselves three simple questions every day: Is the work we are doing moving the needle of Linux adoption in a significant way? Does the work we do require broad industry collaboration? Is the Linux Foundation equipped to do this work? In the case of MeeGo, the answer to all three questions is yes.

MeeGo is powerful news for the Linux platform, the Linux Foundation’s members, community developers and users who wish to take full advantage of the next generation of computing devices. We are excited to see what’s next, so watch this space for more MeeGo news in the months to come.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Yesterday I watched Apple’s Steve Jobs unveil the iPad. Jobs clearly can create revolutionary products; he can also produce spin like no one else. Yesterday was no exception.

His main message about the iPad was “a magical device at a breakthrough price.” He repeated this many times throughout the pitch and twice at the end. This phrase demands an honest response: how will Linux-based devices compete with the iPad?

You might expect the Executive Director of the Linux Foundation to state with full confidence that Linux-based competitors will crush the iPad. Linux *can* compete in one area. $499 - $829 may be a breakthrough price for Apple and their margins, but it’s no comparison to the price competition Linux-based devices can offer. Vendors creating Tablets, slates, phones or other devices do not have to pay the per-unit pricing of other platforms. Apple products command a premium and Jobs will never cannibalize their pricing power. While I do believe that Linux can compete, and win, on price, I’m left to question: what about the magic?

Apple is unmatched at creating a cohesive experience. While many question the revolutionary impact of the iPad, Apple’s consistent user experience is far closer to magical than most things currently running Linux. It may be easy for us to bash Microsoft every other week, but Apple is a true competitor. They have the polish, the focus on usability and ease of use, the application and hardware integration all to make using their technology a seamless and elegant part of your day, instead of a constant struggle with technology. The Linux ecosystem needs to do better competing on “magic.”

This is not to say that there aren’t projects and products in the Linux that are innovative and focused on creating a magical user experience. A few that spring to mind:

- The clutter UI project is advancing the state of the art in Linux-based desktops
- Android-based phones like the Droid or the Nexus One are getting close to the “magic” of the iPhone
- Moblin-based notebooks and tablet devices that are in development
- The Ubuntu projects recent focus on usability and user experience
- The Palm Pre and their Linux-based smart phones
- Nokia’s Maemo project and the N900

The issue is that while all of these are incredible efforts, Steve Jobs is hardly standing still. We have to do better.

With all this talk about “magic,” there is another important element to consider: freedom. Apple is the most locked down closed system imaginable, from the software ladened with DRM, all the way down to the custom silicon they use for their Apple A4 chip. Commercial success is important, but freedom is also important.

Where the Ipad will really impact Linux-based devices is in the embedded space. Amazon Kindle? It doesn’t look so hot if Apple gets a distribution deal with enough publishers. (Even if they don’t, they will likely freeze the market enough in the meantime to seriously dent Kindle’s numbers.) GPS providers who use Linux? They were already under seige from smart phones but this doesn’t help.

So my question to you: How can the Linux community get better at creating magic? While we’re strong on price, we still have a ways to go to compete. The Linux Foundation isn’t just going to complain about the need for more “Magic” on the Linux platform - we are going to do something about it. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for big news on just how we will accomplish this. In the mean time I would love to hear all of your ideas.

Popularity: 29% [?]

The Linux Foundation today announced a free Linux training Webinar series and an expanded set of courses and course locations for its existing training program. There is no coincidence that this shortly follows the Foundation’s recent jobs board announcement.

Linux is experiencing significant growth in every category of computing. The new products and systems based on Linux you see announced every day will be deployed for a very long time. A shortage of qualified people to support this ecosystem could potentially slow Linux growth.

In order to keep Linux growing at its current record pace, the Linux Foundation and its members have made a strategic decision to address this increase in demand for Linux professionals with programs such as the jobs board, the new training offerings and, as always, its fellowship program.

The jobs board, announced just two weeks ago, connects job seekers and employers by providing an important online forum on Linux.com. Anyone can find the best and brightest Linux talent or the ideal job opportunity.

The Linux Training program goes deeper. It brings in the Linux community’s most highly regarded technical leadership to deliver education about Linux that can’t be accessed anywhere else. How do you get involved with the Linux development process? How do you use Git? Where can you get more information on Linux performance tuning? The free Linux Training Webinar Series answers all these questions and many more.

The fellowship program employs the best and brightest Linux talent in order to allow them to focus on important development work while gaining valuable experience for their next move. Ted Ts’o is the latest example of a Linux Foundation fellow who spent two years contributing to the Linux Standard Base and has recently landed a new position at Google.

Red Hat, Novell, Canonical and LPI each offer important training programs, but these are still are not enough to keep up with the growing market demand for Linux talent. The Linux Foundation’s is unique in its ability to provide classes direct from the source, the developers working on Linux today. It’s also a vendor-neutral forum and offers coursework that isn’t tailored towards any one distribution or vendor; rather, the classes are focused on increasing Linux skills that can be applied across any employer or vendor.

The demand for Linux related talent is not a short-term trend and, based on recent data, is counter to current unemployment rates. Investing in this area addresses both a short-term need for talent and a long- term need for innovative and creative people at the top of their game.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Open source software development is innovative and exciting. It has produced the software that runs the internet; Linux, Apache, Firefox, and so much more. In addition to being technically innovative it also has turned business models on their head and introduced new software licensing and IP sharing concepts.

As we continue to innovate at the technical level it is equally important to discuss innovative legal concepts to allow the unfettered deployment and development of free and open source software.

To that end, on February 10, 2010 the Linux Foundation and the Open Source Initiative will host a Strategic Planning Session for lawyers active in support or adoption of free and open source software. At this meeting our legal community will consider what legal issues we anticipate may arise and what foundations we might be able to lay to support continued rise of free and open source software.

The purpose of the meeting is to collectively look forward and to consider new issues, new venues, and new technologies.

The event will be open to qualified lawyers who are active in the field of open source development or commercial deployment. The session will include panel discussions and updates, but the entire day will be more of a conversation than a lecture. We want people to come prepared to participate. Some of the topics that have been suggested already include: education of the community on patent matters; the Risk Grid and the Linking Project underway at FSFE; lessons learned from the license proliferation discussion and other comet-like issue phenomena in the open source ecosystem; how FOSS and commercial interests will co-exist and change each other in the longer term; and updates on FOSSBazaar and the SFLC activities. Participants will be asked to provide their suggestions for topics to discuss in the registration process and we hope that you will be thoughtful in your response. We will not identify the source of any topics posed for consideration without permission. We will also have several seminars by engineers on certain technical issues which are important to legal analysis.

Date: February 10, 2010

Time: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: DLA Piper LLP, 2000 University Avenue, East Palo Alto, California 94303-2214

Costs: There will be a cover charge of $30 to cover catering costs for this event but there will be no conference fee.

To request an invitation register here:

Open Source Legal Invitation Request

Your registration will be reviewed and you will be notified if accepted. Please register early as space is limited.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Last week, David Coursey reported that Microsoft entertainment and devices boss Robbie Bach made the prediction in an analyst briefing that Linux on mobile will lose. Why? It’s choice is a bad thing for customers and that there is too much Linux in the mobile marketplace

By Bach’s count there are 17 variants of Linux available on mobile phones. He sees this as a bad thing for customers. We, unsurprisingly, see this as a bad thing for Microsoft.

Technology markets are shaped by momentum. When a company bets on a technology, it’s not a one-time decision. They must live with that choice for years. Ecosystems around technology are as important as the technology itself, since you need partners and developers to actually make something of it. This is why I take issue with his pronouncement that Linux will not do as well as Microsoft mobile. He may have a point that individual variants of Linux may come and go. We will likely see moves both up and down for specific versions of a mobile OS using Linux. We’ve seen it in the enterprise distribution market.

But Linux as the underlying platform of such mobile offerings as Android, Moblin and many more is growing exponentially, and precisely because it affords this choice. Palm, Motorola and others have jumped ship from Windows Mobile to Linux-based offerings in recent years. LG is now using Android on 50% of its handsets. According to Gartner Group, Windows Mobile’s market share fell to 7.9 percent in the third quarter of 2009 down from 11.1 percent the same quarter of last year.

The problem with Microsoft’s Windows Mobile is not just the technology, it’s the business model. Bach dismissed the recent decline in marketshare Microsoft has been experiencing as “not a business problem per se,” but people I know in the mobile market disagree.

Here’s why:

- With Windows Mobile, carriers and handset manufactuers have to pay Microsoft a per-device charge. With Linux-based platforms this does not exist.

- Windows Mobile has draconian branding and licensing restrictions. Basically Microsoft wants to “own the glass.” With Linux you have a multiple of ways to brand and market your product, making it your product. Linux is the base of many different distributions because of the flexibility it offers.

Is working with Linux more complex than with Windows Mobile? Probably, since with Linux carriers and hand set manufacturers actually have to make a choice in what technology they use and how they brand their products, instead of getting the technology and pricing dictated to them from Redmond. The current consolidation to Linux on mobile is far less complex than just a few years ago when hand set manufacturers had to build from scratch their own OS if they didn’t want to give up a big percentage of their margins to Microsoft. Linux has given them the flexibility they need while making the building of a handset and ecosystem development simpler. Is it more complex than the one size fits all approach of Microsoft? Definitely. But it’s also more profitable.

I suppose if he truly believes choice is a bad thing, he may truly believe Linux will lose, but unfortunately the market momentum and adoption numbers are proving quite the opposite.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal’s Nick Wingfield broke a story on Microsoft selling a group of patents to a third party. The end result of this story is good for Linux, even though it doesn’t placate fears of ongoing attacks by Microsoft. Open Invention Network, working with its members and the Linux Foundation, pulled off a coup, managing to acquire some of the very patents that seem to have been at the heart of recent Microsoft FUD campaigns against Linux. Break out your white hats: the good guys won.

The details are that Microsoft assembled a package of patents “relating to open source” and put them up for sale to patent trolls. Microsoft thought they were selling them to AST, a group that buys patents, offers licenses to its members, and then resells the patents. AST calls this their “catch and release” policy. Microsoft would certainly have known that the likely buyer when AST resold their patents in a few months would be a patent troll that would use the patents to attack non-member Linux companies. Thus, by selling patents that target Linux, Microsoft could help generate fear, uncertainty, and doubt about Linux, without needing to attack the Linux community directly in their own name.

This deal shows the mechanisms the Linux industry has constructed to defend Linux are working, even though the outcome also shows Microsoft to continue to act antagonistically to its customers.

We can be thankful that these patents didn’t fall into the hands of a patent troll who has no customers and thus cares not about customer or public backlash. Luckily the defenses put in place by the Linux industry show that collaboration can result in great things, including the legal protection of Linux.

The reality is that Windows and Linux will both remain critical parts of the world’s computing infrastructure for years to come. Nearly 100% of Fortune 500 companies support deployments of both Windows and Linux. Those customers, who have the ear of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, need to tell Microsoft that they do not want Microsoft’s patent tricks to interfere with their production infrastructure. It’s time for Microsoft to stop secretly attacking Linux while publicly claiming to want interoperability. Let’s hope that Microsoft decides going forward to actually try to win in the marketplace, rather than
continuing to distract and annoy us with their tricky patent schemes. And, let’s offer a big round of applause to Keith Bergelt and OIN, for their perfectly executed defense of the Linux community.

Popularity: 46% [?]

Rolex, movies, Gucci, and even Sharpie pens, among other consumer goods, are well known for reaching a level of ubiquity where people start producing fakes or knock-offs. From our industry, even Steve Jobs’ personal brand warranted a knock-off in the form the FakeSteveJobs blog. Linux, too, has reached that level of ubiquity and maturity. We all use Linux every day via our bank ATMs, our cars, our netbooks, the Internet (Google, Facebook and more), and the list goes on.

Thus, the Linus Torvalds knock-offs have naturally come forth.

For the next few weeks, four FakeLinusTorvalds (#flt1, #flt2, #flt3 and #lft4) will be tweeting from our Identi.ca (linuxfoundation) and Twitter feeds (www.twitter.com/linuxfoundation), posing as the real Linus. I expect some of them to be dangerously outrageous, while others will just be downright funny. And, the real Linus has given them his blessing. No infringements here, folks!

Two weeks before LinuxCon, we’ll invite you to vote for your favorite FLT. By voting, you can win free admission to the event and be present for the official unveiling of the four FLTs. We’ll reveal their identities and present the favorite with the “Silver Penguin” directly after the Linux Kernel Roundtable featuring the real Linus.

If you’ve seen me present recently, you know that I like to show IBM’s notable Linux commercial with the genius kid who gets advice about the world from people across industries and cultures. Then, I like to speculate about where that kid is today and I slap up a snapshot of Eminem.

Taking from this theme, we’ve put this kid back to work (in the form of Eminem) with a rap parody to kick things off: “Will the Real Linus Torvalds please stand up?”

Take a look and you can start guessing the real identities of these four fakes. I suspect a few identities to be scooped before we get to Portland. I challenge you to be the spoiler!

Popularity: 46% [?]

People often say things like this as a badge of honor. Some of us even keep event badges hung from our office doors as a tally of the events we’ve attended.

With LinuxCon just six short weeks away, I’ve been thinking about how folks will look back on this conference. I don’t think badges from LinuxCon will represent an event attended but rather an event experienced. This is Linux event that returns us to our roots in which developers can collaborate real-time on technology challenges, while business executives can simultaneously work together and with developers to better understand the opportunities ahead.

I expect LinuxCon to turn the page for industry conferences – moving away from “show-n-tell” formats of the past, and towards real technical and business collaboration. I also expect it to represent a time of amazing growth and maturity of Linux and open source software.

IDC reported earlier this year that Linux will see growth during the recession while other OSes struggle. It also reported earlier this summer that open source software will grow much faster than was originally forecast in 2008.

This growth is fuelling new demand for forums today in which ecosystem stakeholders can accelerate specific initiatives with face-to-face collaboration, not with marketing gimmicks or product demonstrations. Let’s face it: traditional “expos” just won’t cut it anymore - and honestly, they never were a good fit for the culture inherent in the Linux and open source communities.

Since we announced the creation of LinuxCon last fall, we’ve gathered together the best and brightest folks in our industry and from among the community to join us in Portland next month. And, by co-locating with the annual Linux Plumbers Conference (LPC), a star-studded pool of community rock stars will come together in one place.

The LinuxCon advisory board, which also consists of a who’s who of technical talent and business innovation, has helped direct a stellar program that includes, among many other sessions:

Bob Sutor on Clouds, Mainframes and Desktops
Dirk Hohndel will tell us why Mobile Linux Matters
Matt Asay on the true cost of Linux and open source
James Bottomley on how to contribute to the kernel
Chris Wright on improving virtualization density with KVM:

No Linux conference would be complete without daytime and evening debauchery, so here are a few of the “don’t miss” events:

Bowling for PenguinsHelp save endangered penguins in Antarctica while “flaming” your competition on the bowling alley. Build your team now.

Evening Reception On Wednesday, join us on the waterfront at McCormick & Schmick’s for an evening reception co-hosted by the Linux Foundation and Linux Plumbers Conference and sponsored by Intel.

24/7 Hacker Lounge. Enjoy a tasty beverage while hanging out all day and all night, if you like.

Wellness Lounge. Sometimes you need some downtime at a conference. Kick off the shoes and do some yoga or get a massage.

So, it’s time to “get your penguin on.” Customize your conference agenda , assemble your bowling team and follow us on Twitter for a variety of promotions to save you money and give you access at the event.

You can be one of the folks to say “I was at the first LinuxCon.”

Popularity: 41% [?]

Sometimes you need to hit rock bottom before you can get the help you need. IDC acted as an “interventionist” today publishing a new report showing how open source is growing in the down economy.

The study released today shows, “worldwide revenue from open source software will grow at a 22.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach $8.1 billion by 2013. This forecast is considerably higher than 2008 for three reasons: (1) the bottom-up list used to calculate the revenue has expanded through an exhaustive effort to include more projects in this forecast; (2) open source software has had a much higher level of acceptance over the past 12 months than previously expected, and; (3) the economy accelerated the uptake and use of open source software in the closing months of 2008.”

Economic crisis tend to clarify people’s thinking and accentuate existing trends in the market place. This is no exception. The IDC report underscores the fact that open source provides real value for the money and it took a recession for people to figure that out. For a world addicted to high priced proprietary software this may have been the bottom that will transition the enterprise IT industry to one of shared innovation, true value for the money, and higher levels of service.

Popularity: 43% [?]

Linux has a strong history of deployments in government agencies around the globe and has helped drive the adoption of open source applications in government in recent years. But, we have a long, winding road in front of us. Research firm Gartner predicts that only 25% of government vertical, domain-specific applications will either be open source or contain software developed by a community by 2011.

Some may see this as a victory, but I see it as not good enough. The members of the organization announced today, Open Source for America, agree. We see it as an opportunity to educate government on open source software while effecting change in policy and coordinating collaboration on requirements specific to government.

Linux is a perfect example of how open source moves its way up through the ranks of business and government. Federal agencies will to see that Linux has already proven extremely effective. Consider one of the earliest examples of Linux in government - - as early as 1995, a small suburb in Orange County moved its municipal computer system to Linux. Today, Orange County is home to an active Linux User Groups (LUGs). Fourteen years later and after a hundreds of government Linux deployments, the United States Postal Service this month said it is moving 1300 servers used for its tracking package system to Linux. And, the agency said that this migration is part of a larger one intended to standardize on open source software to lower operating costs and increase the number of transactions the system can handle – that’s increasing on 40 million transactions a day.

We have an opportunity now to move Linux and open source closer to a tipping point in government. With a federal administration voicing its support and commitment to reducing costs and enabling better IT infrastructure across healthcare, defense and other major sectors, the time is right for a collective voice that can educate Washington policy makers about these critical technologies.

A more cost effective and open government is something everyone can agree is good for our country. These are the principles open source has been putting into practice for years. The Linux Foundation looks forward to working with Open Source in America to educate Washington on the value of open source.

Popularity: 43% [?]

Most of you have seen the news today from Google formally announcing their Chrome Operating System for netbooks using Intel x86 and ARM chips. The is painted as a classic “clash of the titans” between Google and Microsoft, with Google finally directly assaulting Microsoft’s top cash business. (They have already opened the war against Microsoft’s other cash cow, Office, with Google Docs.) While this is a great story, I prefer to frame at as David vs Goliath with the little OS that could, Linux, as the foundation of this announcement, as well as the other operating systems challenging Windows.

What does this announcement mean to the computing industry?

Microsoft’s pricing model is not sustainable in the new world of PC/mobile convergence. MSFT as it existed for the past 20 years does not fit into a world of free carrier-backed netbooks and an internet OS. It’s been reported that Windows 7 Starter will be priced around $45 - $55. In a $200 netbook with already razor thin margins that pricing doesn’t work. And it certainly doesn’t work in the world of free PCs subsidized through carrier subscriptions. When PC makers threaten to use another operating system if they don’t get Windows 7 at a lower price they will not be bluffing; Google Chrome, Moblin, and desktop Linux will be free. Microsoft is not blind to this - but it is questionable if their recent moves towards services will happen soon enough.

The new PC model is built around services: Google ads, online music/video/TV services, subscriptions to applications built and run from the cloud. The old world of high margin operating systems and desktop applications is simply not very relevant to this new world. Native applications unique to an OS are just also not very relevant any more. Even such workhorses as personal finance and digital photo applications have moved to the browser, and those apps are available on any OS. Even Microsoft shut down their Microsoft Money product which was built under the old software sales model. Google wants to capitalize on this trend with Google Chrome OS and its own bevy of online services.

Linux (and consumers) are the true winners. Linux is the basis for not only the new Chrome OS but also the other challengers to Microsoft’s desktop monopoly such as Moblin, Nokia’s Maemo, Palm Pre, many versions of desktop Linux such as Ubuntu or Suse, Android and more. (It’s also the basis of all of Google’s application services as well as every major cloud offering.) Linux is the foundation for this new wave of computing because it is available on more architectures and supports more devices than any other OS. (By using the Linux kernel Google Chrome gains the advantage of all of the hardware drivers.) Linux also gives PC makers and mobile carriers the flexibility to use it without onerous pricing and branding restrictions. The more companies and manufacturers base their products on Linux, the stronger Linux becomes. Say goodbye to monopoly pricing.

There are more questions raised by this announcement than answers, but I feel the three points above are clearly strengthened by this news. We look forward to seeing Google collaborate closely with the Linux community and industry to enhance Linux as the foundation for this new computing model.

Popularity: 46% [?]

One of the coolest things I get to do in this job is talk to the developers and business executives who are every day advancing the Linux operating system. Our Open Voices Podcast Series showcases some of the most influential people in the Linux and open source software community, including Linus Torvalds, Mark Shuttleworth, Mitchell Baker, and many more.

Today we posted our latest conversation in the Series. This one is with IBM’s Bob Sutor. Bob recently moved into a new position at IBM where he is focused on Linux and open source software. It’s an interesting time for him and IBM given the company’s 10-year anniversary this year of its commitment to Linux. The podcast sheds some light on the last 10 years for Linux, as well as what the future holds. This is just a taste of what I expect he will expand upon in his LinuxCon keynote later this year.

Hear what Bob has to say about the ODF debate, as well as some really thoughtful insights on desktop Linux and the cloud, among others topics.

Popularity: 48% [?]

We don’t need to declare the year of the Linux desktop anymore. This week alone was pretty darn good. Having spent the week at Computex, the place where you see all the things that people are going to find in Bestbuy and Amazon 6 months from now, it is clear that Linux has a critical role in client computing. Here is a shortlist of this weeks developments.

Moblin Breaks Out

Acer announced it will support Moblin across all its product lines. Asus showed some new prototypes at the Moblin executive summit. Canonical, Linpus, Novell, Red Flag, and Xandros all announced they will deliver Moblin versions of their distributions. We even saw several Android applications installed on a netbook running Moblin 2.0 in a speech from Intel on Thursday making it clear that it isn’t necessarily and either or game between the two platforms.

Smartbook or Netbook; Common Denominator is Linux

Qualcom has dubbed the term “Smartbook” which is defined as combining features of a smartphone and a netbook. It is unclear if this category will stick but there is one thing that both netbooks and smartbooks have in common; Linux. Moblin, Android, and desktop Linux were in all of the preview devices on display behind the scenes and on the show floor at Computex.

“Instant on”runs on Linux

As I predicted last year, Linux is shipping with a huge number of the PC’s at Computex thanks to a flurry of activity in the “fast boot” segment. On display this year were Fastboot from bios giant Phoenix, Splashtop from DeviceVM, and Presto from Xandros. Clearly consumers are sick of waiting for Windows to boot and with sub five second boot times from each of these vendors using Linux you can access your e-mail or web browser in seconds.

Dell Introduces a Full Linux Notebook for $299.00

Dell introduced the Inspiron N notebook computer this week for $299.00. This is a full fledged notebook computer with a 15 inch screen, a dvd burner, 160 gig hard drive and more for $299.00. This is breakthrough pricing in a market that can’t be re categorized by Microsoft as a “low-cost small notebook PC” It is hard to see how Microsoft can maintain their usual margins which would represent 1/3 of the cost of this PC. Linux’s fundamental pricing advantage here could not be more compelling.

Better Audio and Video Support

RealNetworks Inc announced it is licensing its RealPlayer for Linux on x86 and ARM-based netbooks, as well as the three “instant-on” products mentioned above. Real is joining Fluendo who is already partnering with Ubuntu to offer multimedia support for Linux on Dell products.

Palm “Pre” makes a spash with a Linux based Smartphone

Palm started selling its ambitious new smartphone product this week to strong reviews. Palm has bet the company on the Pre and it shows. The device has tremendous potential with slick industrial design and a solid Linux based software platform.

Intel Buys Wind River

Finally, Intel surprised everyone this week by purchasing Linux and embedded systems giant Wind River. If anyone questioned Intel’s commitment to Linux and to expanding in the embedded and mobile market this certainly made it clear that Intel is going all in. This acquisition, which is Intel’s first major M&A activity since 2001, is certain to help all of their efforts in this arena from the Moblin project they are working on with us here at the Linux Foundation to better software enablement of future products in this space.

After this week I think the term “year of the desktop” is becoming obsolete. Heck, after this week of the Linux desktop if there wasn’t so much going on I might even take next week off.

Popularity: 56% [?]

You say potato I say; are we really talking about this? At Computex this week we saw two new computing “categories” created. It has long been marketing 101 in the high tech world to try and define a category of computing based on metrics that favor your own particular market position of unique feature set. That is what is going on today in the great netbook/smartbook/low-cost small notebook PC debate. Let’s look at each of these and try and sort this out.

First, starting with “netbooks” you have what is essentially a “low-cost small notebook PC” but is much easier to say. Asus and Intel pioneered the use of this term in conjunction with the Eee PC and Atom processor respectively. Netbooks are generally a portable low cost PC with a smaller screen size used for accessing the internet and media consumption. Lately, however, most “netbooks” are considered fully functional PC’s capable of being a real productivity tool. My hunch is that the netbook name is the one that will stick. It is easy to remember and sounds so much better than “cheap PC.”

Secondly, this week Qualcomm came out with the term “Smartbook” referring to small low-cost notebook PC’s that have smart phone features such as always on 3G wireless, push e-mail, instantboot, etc. This is a clever term for Qualcomm to illustrate its strengths as they cross over from the wireless device market into the PC market place. Their marketing folks deserve full credit for a “smart” idea. We’ll see if the term catches on, but it is tough to be second in the category creation game and Qualcomm got beat to the punch by the netbook term over a year ago.

Finally you have poor Microsoft’s rejection of both categories in favor of the term, “low-cost small notebook PC.” No surprise since the netbook/smartbook market is terrible for their business. The last time they used the term “netbooks” was in an earnings announcement where they stated, “client revenue declined 8% as a result of PC market weakness and a continued shift to lower priced netbooks.”

Nick Mediati at PCWorld said it best, “by Microsoft’s logic, “smart phones” should be renamed “pocket-sized handheld computing devices” since smart phones today do so much more than make phone calls and handle your appointment calendars. And “game consoles”? More like “home theater multimedia playback and gameplay consoles.” To arbitrarily change a product category’s catchy, memorable name to something ridiculous and jargony seems to make no sense at all.”

Walking around Comptex there is was one point of common ground in the debate. Whether you say potato, potahto, Moblin or Android, with the cost of these PC’s trending toward less then a couple hundred bucks we all say goodbye to expensive OS licensing and hello to Linux.

Popularity: 50% [?]

There was an interesting announcement from Eduardo Lima of the Canola project in his speech in Mozilla Maemo Danish Weekend yesterday in Brazil. The Canola project announced that they are going to license their project with additional permissions to GPLv3 in order to provide their code “in different kinds of business models and product offerings, especially in CE devices.” This is the first times that this particular permission is being used. The GPLv3 license is an important one and developers should be aware of the facts and motivations in this particular case.

What is the Canola project?

Canola is a media center like application for tablets. Canola was born as a finger oriented, portable media center that could allow consumers to play all of their media, both local and from the network. The main goal of the project is to provide an easy to user interface for Linux systems. Their work is used in tablets offered by companies like Nokia.

Why are they choosing the GPLv3 plus this additional permission?

According to the project, “We believe this additional permission enables wider use of Canola2 in different kinds of business models and product offerings, especially in CE devices. This additional permission combines the best parts of GPLv2 and GPLv3 experiences. We encourage other projects to consider use of this additional permission if they have similar needs.”

What is the specific permission language?

“The copyright holders grant you an additional permission under Section 7 of the GNU General Public License, version 3, exempting you from the requirement in Section 6 of the GNU General Public License, version 3, to accompany Corresponding Source with Installation Information for the Program or any work based on the Program. You are still required to comply with all other Section 6 requirements to provide Corresponding Source.”

What does this permission mean?

Basically it means what it says. It relieves the licensee from the obligation that it would otherwise have under section 6 of GPLv3 to include installation information along with corresponding source for the program in question or any work based on that program.

Is this permission compatible with GPLv3?

Yes. Section 7 of GPLv3 allows copyright holders to issue additional permissions and the experts that we have contacted tell us that this additional permission is compliant with section 7, and has been written according to the requirements of GPLv3.

Who else might use this permission language?

Developers who would like their code to be used in systems where the particular producer of those devices or systems might not use the software at all if it was required to provide installation information along with the source code.

Is that a good thing?

Some people favor the ability to provide additional permissions to GPLv3 and others do not. However, the drafters of the GPLv3 decided that it was appropriate to provide the freedom to include exceptions by including section 7 for this purpose.

Have other people looked at this language?

Members of the Linux Foundation have looked at this language and deem it to be legally acceptable and appropriate for this particular use.

What do they think about its substance?

The foundation and its members all believe that licensing choice is ultimately up to the developers and owners of a project. We are concerned, however, with whether the language of popular licenses is legally clear, and also with the fact that having too many licenses and license variations can become confusing.

Regardless of where you come down on the debate as to whether these permissions should be granted, it is clear that this language is effective and that its consistent use will be helpful for those projects and developers that DO wish to provide a similar exception to the GPLv3.

Popularity: 63% [?]

Today, the Moblin project released Moblin v2.0 for Netbooks and Nettops to beta. If you haven’t seen the innovation present in Moblin, I urge you to watch this video that showcases the Moblin v2.0 Netbook UI experience.

What I find particularly compelling about Moblin is its understanding and expression of the way users actually use netbooks. Instead of the local, static form of computing of the past, netbook users want an experience centered on social network and media. Moblin fuels this transition through its visually rich user interface designed on Clutter technology. Moblin is an experience more than just a user interface.

With the new UI, the M-Zone becomes your home screen, giving you access to the live data you actually need. The M-Zone provides instant access to your synchronized calendar, tasks, appointments, recently used files and real time updates from your friends on social networking sites. A Moblin tool bar is also provided for easy navigation at the top of the screen, which remains hidden until you need it. Because Moblin has been designed from the ground up to be optimized for Internet content and media consumption, the platform reflects the live experience people are looking for in netbooks.

Moblin isn’t just about netbooks and nettops. Moblin is optimized for Intel Atom Processor-based devices including MIDs, netbooks, nettops, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), and embedded systems.

Developers and users who want to be a part of a new UI framework should check this out. Please see Moblin team member Imad Sousou’s blog with more detail on how you can get involved with the project and give feedback on this release.

Popularity: 53% [?]

Today the Linux Foundation issued a joint letter with Microsoft to the American Law Institute regarding a draft of their Principles of the Law of Software Contracts.

Who is the American Law Institute (ALI)

The ALI is a hardworking group that engages legal experts around the country who write “restatements of the law” or legal treatises in hopes that judges will use them in deciding cases. In order to participate in this process you need to be a member. You have to pay a fee to access material, and there is no public review prior to publication. This is why we decided to participate in drafting this open letter.

Why is this important?

The principles outlined by the ALI interfere with the natural operation of open source licenses and commercial licenses as well by creating implied warranties that could result in a tremendous amount of unnecessary litigation, which would undermine the sharing of technology.

There are times when we can agree

Sam Ramji, Microsoft’s Senior Director of Open Source and Linux Strategy, recently attended the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit to participate in a panel titled, “Why we can’t all get along.” While Sam heard a lot from people in the Linux world about where we disagree, he also pointed out that there are areas where we can agree and work together for the betterment of users of technology. This is one of those cases.

As Horacio E. Gutiérrez, Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel points out in his blog and the letter also states:

“Notwithstanding our varying approaches to the licensing and distribution of software, we share a common desire for a sound, effective commercial law framework for software contracts that reflects business and community realities. Such a framework will ultimately increase the variety and functionality of software available, benefitting both businesses and consumers.”

Today we are finding common ground with Microsoft and we look forward to potential collaboration in the future as well as to competing in the market and keeping each other honest.

Popularity: 52% [?]

It’s no surprise that the executive director of the Linux Foundation would see good news for Linux in the unexpected announcement this morning of Oracle’s acquisition of Sun Microsystems, but I do feel it necessary to shed some light on how it may or may not affect Linux.

- Oracle is strategically aligned with Linux: Oracle is a Linux distributor, and all its products are developed and run on Linux. As Edward Screven, chief architect of Oracle, said in a keynote at our Collaboration Summit two weeks ago, “entering the Linux market was the right choice for Oracle.” They are also a major user: Oracle’s entire enterprise runs on Linux, and they are major contributors to the Linux kernel among other Linux projects.

- While Oracle specifically is calling out the software assets and upside in this deal, specially the acquisition of Java and Solaris, this does not mean they will lessen their support for Linux. In fact Oracle’s support for Linux is so crucial to the company, they felt it useful to say in the official press release that they will continue to be “committed as ever to Linux.”

- Oracle is first and foremost an applications and business software vendor, meaning they need to support the OS that the customer wishes to deploy their software on. Solaris has traditionally been a very popular OS choice for the Oracle DB. This acquisition makes a lot of sense for Oracle to fine tune Solaris for their products, but it certainly will not lessen the support or investment Oracle has in Linux. This isn’t a zero sum game. Much like IBM or HP who continue to build out their Linux businesses while sustaining their Unix investments, it’s about granting customers choice and making sure your software is optimized to run on the OS of their choice. In fact, Sun has an existing Linux business that has been growing in recent years.

- Oracle is a key supporter of open standards such as ODF and we believe this only strengthens that stance. This acquisition could prove fruitful for Open Office and ODF support in the enterprise. Both Oracle and Sun’s commitments to open standards based products and services that enable customer choice and effective integration amongst the variety of technology it takes to run a business is a win for technology consumers.

Both Sun and Oracle are members of the Linux Foundation, with Oracle a prominent supporter of the Foundation with its platinum membership. We look forward to working with the combined company to further the growth of open source, open standards, and Linux.

Popularity: 55% [?]