Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Servers

    On the LinuxWorld Floor

    By
    Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
    -
    January 22, 2004
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      NEW YORK—Like a contented beehive, New Yorks Javits Center is abuzz with happy LinuxWorld goers. SCO may be suing Novell and trying to lobby Congress in the cold (25 degrees in NYC) outside world, but such mere nuisances arent dampening the mood of the exhibitors inside.

      The first thing youll notice as you enter the LinuxWorld main hall are the exhibitors: Computer Associates, HP, IBM, Novell, Oracle … oh, did I mention that this is a Linux show? Tux, the penguin, is everywhere, and so are the big-time corporate IT companies that support him. Let me say this again with feeling: Linux is now just as part of the computing mainstream as Unix or Windows.

      Speaking of Windows, Microsoft has a booth in the show. On the first day of the show, however, it was shrouded with signs that youd be able to get the facts (about Linux) at 10:30 a.m. the next day. Isnt that just like Microsoft, big promises and a late delivery?

      The smaller, pure-Linux-play companies are here as well, with Red Hat leading the way. But there arent many of them: Gentoo, Debian, Steeleye, Xandros and a handful of others.

      Perhaps the most different booth on the show floor is Googles. No, Google isnt here to get people to use Google. Theyve already done a pretty good job of that, dont you think? Google is here to look for employees.

      When it comes to conversation, all you need to do is say, “I think KDE is much better than Gnome,” or vice-versa, and voila, instant discussion. Usually this is followed by a, ahem, heated debate.

      The clinching argument for a Linux desktop though was experienced by one poor attendee whose Windows laptop was wreaked by a Windows virus. Say what you will about Linux security, this is one guy who really wishes he had been running a Linux desktop at the show.

      /zimages/3/28571.gifClick here for a story on kernel maintainer Andrew Mortons optimism on Linux desktops and client apps.

      BEA Systems, the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) power, is here in force. Its slogan is: “BEA enables Java and Linux.” JBoss and other open Java development companies would have been interested to see all the attendees who have been swarming about the BEA booth.

      Eric Raymond, one of the founding fathers of open source, is at the show signing his newest book, The Art of Unix Programming. Now, let me say beforehand that Ive known Eric for more than 20 years, so Im clearly biased here. That said, his book is the best Ive ever read on the zen of programming. If you read it, you wont learn how to program, but you will learn how to program well.

      Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
      I'm editor-at-large for Ziff Davis Enterprise. That's a fancy title that means I write about whatever topic strikes my fancy or needs written about across the Ziff Davis Enterprise family of publications. You'll find most of my stories in Linux-Watch, DesktopLinux and eWEEK. Prior to becoming a technology journalist, I worked at NASA and the Department of Defense on numerous major technological projects.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×