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The $20 Solaris 7 kits included 3 cd's (sparc OS, intel OS, & docs for both) and a boot floppy and was limited to non-commercial use. The $75 Solaris 8 kits include many more CD's including Oracle 8i, StarOffice, precompiled freeware, etc., and are no longer limited to non-commercial use.

Try checking out http://www.sunhelp.org or http://docs.sun.com. There is a wealth of knowledge out there.. you just have to search for it.. like with Linux. On the plus side, if you ARE an Enterprise customer willing to pay you can get excellent help from Sun tech support directly via the phone. Also, there is a ton of documentation that comes on both CD and in print format with a new Sun and a copy of Solaris these days. I'd be very suprised if the answers to almost anything related to the platform itself (and not a third party application) is not handled by the included documentation or the stuff on the CD's.

Win2k, which on its debut release demonstrated dramatically higher price/performance and raw performance benchmarks on database serving than Sun has ever been able to achieve

Just as an FYI Solaris is now free (as in beer) for up to 8 processors. All you pay for is the media (6 CDs and Misc docs)

The "G" stands for "Glascow."

Since I came across it earlier today, I thought I might as well post it - J2SE 1.4 "Merlin" public review at the "Java Community Process". It's 59 pages long, though that's mostly because it is quite detailed. If you want to influence the direction of future Java development... now's the time - they do want response to this...

...but then, I'm using Java (at home: OpenGL)...or I might use CodeWarrior on my iMac.

Some people may not be this lucky.

This isn't as good as it sounds! This page actually shows all the filters available for the Linux release of StarOffice. It's a much shorter list.

I for one would like to know why this is. Is there a sound technical reason for releasing a larger number of filters for Windows and Solaris than for Linux?

Among those filters not supported under Linux are:

• WordPerfect (all versions, DOS & Windows)
• AmiPro
• Lotus Manuscript
• Frame Maker

Microsoft Word for Windows 2000, 97, 95, 6.0, 2.x, 1.x
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, 6.0
Microsoft Word for Windows 97/2000

Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0
Microsoft Word for Windows 95
Microsoft Word for Windows 97/2000

[RANT]
You can call it no-charge if you want to download it but the deal sucks if you want an English cd-only kit!

Check it out: here.

It's amazing that if you want the English version on a CD (for those of us that don't have the time/bandwidth to download it) that you will have to pay $39.95 for the product. This was supposed to be a "free" "give away" product per Sun.
$39.95 is far too pricey for just media - but wait you get a book!
I'm sorry but I don't need a book and I shouldn't be forced into getting one with a software package that is supposed to be free.
[/RANT]


The Tick - "Spoon!"

Nobody asked yet, but StarOffice for Mac is expected to be out by the end of the year.

Source code for StarOffice not available yet. I wonder what license Sun will use - they're using quite a few at the moment. Hopefully they'll use the MPL (Mozilla Public License) like for their "Forte for Java Community Edition" IDE.

Needless to say, my experience at SoftAware in Los Angeles and Above.Net in San Jose was very good.

So here's what you need from a CoLo vendor besides the obvious stuff (bandwidth, etc):

• Clean power. Be wary of a fast growing CoLo space like Level 3 where contractors will plug their circular saw into the same outlet your servers are plugged into. Not good.
• Good air ventilation- look for hot spots vs cold spots. And make sure that air is clean! With all the construction at most CoLo facilities, this can be a serious issue.
• What kind of backup power do they have? Do they have enough fuel on site? Level 3 SF brags about having SLAs in place with a Barge company that will bring fuel to the dock behind their building but they forget to mention that a drawbridge, electrically operated, must go up before a boat can go in.
• Is the building strong enough? With all those EMCs going into CoLo these days, there are large loads on the floors and they may not be seismicly adequate.
• Ease of getting stuff in and out of the building. If you're going to swap out machines after hours, do you have to go through several mazes to get your new equipment in? Does the freight elevator work at night? Is it located right next to a Ball Park causing gridlock on game days?
• Operational issues: One Bay Area CoLo provider (a highly ranked one but not Level 3) had a power outage when their cleaning staff pushed the emergency power off buttons thinking it was the exit door open button.
• Response from on-site staff. If you have a problem, do they offer to help or refuse to talk to you until you have obtained either a trouble ticket number or a work order number?

In all due fairness, Level 3 runs a good network. But there is so much more to CoLocation than bandwidth.

• http://www.wvWare.com/, maybe the best open source Word converter? Formerly "mswordview", it's a library and a front-end app, which is currently AbiWord's converter.
• word2x
• AbiSource, a company producing an open source, cross platform, comercial office suite. Their motto was "SHOW ME THE SOURCE!!!", which we had to scream at the March 1999 Linuxworld Expo in order to get their t-shirt.
• Adobe FrameMaker for Linux -- Not sure if it does Office, but it's a commercial word processor!
• VistaSource / ApplixWare -- Cross platform, partially open source, complete office suite and integrated development environment in the form of either a local app, or as a Java-based thin client plus app server architecture. Compare to StarOffice. My experience has been that you can send an un-convertable Office document to Applix's closely-monitored community support mailing list, and they will attempt to modify Applixware's import filters around it, and send you a patch. How cool is that?
• S un StarOffice. Very good as well. Complete office suite. StarOffice and Applixware are capable of replacing Microsoft Office for literally most people.
• Corel Wordperfect -- See also Corel's Linux distribution.
• KDE's KOffice -- Open source office suite.
• Freshmeat.net's index of office apps

• StarOffice for Dummies http://www.us.buy.com/books/pr oduct.asp?sku=30490259 $14.99 (Save $1.00 over amazon.com) Replaces: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764505769/ ref%3Dsim%5Fbooks/103-4415661-32230 16

• Special Edition Using StarOffice, replaces htt p://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789719932/ref =sim_books/002-2291160-6260020.

• Applixware 5 Bible for Linux w/cd-rom http://www.us.buy.com/books/pr oduct.asp?sku=30546347 $29.99 ($2 less than amazon.com) Replaces: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764534033/ qid%3D959095708/sr%3D1-3/002 -2291160-626002

• http://www.us.buy.com/books/pr oduct.asp?sku=30400392 $14.99 ($1 less than amazon.com) Replaces: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0672314126/ ref=sim_books/002-2291160-6260020

• Mastering Koffice for Linux w/ cd-rom http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/b ooksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=4LAQC2IL93&mscssi d=DLK6S46966S92MG1001PQUW78818A314&srefe r=&isbn=0782126529, replaces http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0782126529/ qid%3D959095770/002-0803865-4820213

i dont know what the big fuss is anyways.. because StarOffice 5.1 DOES decode .doc files. I dont know how, and i dont care. All i know is i can read my pesky marketing peoples files in Linux. boind...goinbb..
pavementrocks.

Yes, notoriously closed. However here (free registration required) is the source code for their quicktime streaming server. It is stated to run on RedHat and FreeBSD as well as NT and Solaris. Open Play, an abstraction layer for network gaming is here (which is in the process of being ported to linux) and of course here is the entire *nix layer for their new OS.

Hmm, I seem to be having a hard time connecting to www.publicsource.microsoft.com, www.opensource.microsoft.com, and www.microsoft.com/opensource/. They seem to be having some technical difficulty with those locations. However my search on their homepage showed their exact stand on Open Source here.

And of course those moronic Mac users are held captive by Apple having no other choices of operating systems as shown by these sites: www.yellowdoglinux.com, http://www.linuxppc.org/, www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/ch-compat.html#s-arches, www.turbolinux.com/about/factoids.html, www.netbsd.org/Ports/macppc/, and www.suse.com/products/susesoft/PPC/index.html.

This is not of course to say that Apple does not need to fix some licensing issues, port some things (Quicktime among those at the top of the list). However I just like to see things put into perspective. BTW, since all their new OS is composed of is the *nix layer and the MacOS X binaries that compose the GUI layer, you could probably port MacOS X to anything running a PPC. possibly including RS6000s, AS400s perhaps some of the S/390s as well. Has interesting possibilies. Can you say Photoshop, Doom III, Adobe Premiere/After Effects, Bryce 3D, and Ray Dream Studio running on a mainframe? Tired of waiting on your PC or Mac for the render to finish? Simply hack X all to hell and run it on a frame...

I can understand not wanting to port something live DiVX to Quicktime since quicktime has yet to be ported. However in the same light it is understandable that a company in their position that is working feverishly to release a *nix based OS, one I'd put my grandmother in front of, that runs off the shelf software may not have the time or manpower to spare to port QT to Linux. In the real world companies must release products that make money to stay in business. I am ok with Apple focusing on getting their OS into place before I start bitching about the lack of QT for linux. After they relase, then I may start bitching again. However try to find source code on Win 9x, Win 2k, or Novell. Sun it seems is also doing some cool things, however they require a $75 registration.

I dunno, this sounds like Jini.

Can anyone comment on the relative merits of the two technologies?

IANAC (I Am Not A Coder) but this just sounds like a rehash of the same concept, except it's supposed to work with Intel hardware only.
--

FYI - the IEEE standard that describes Sun's OpenBoot PROM interface is IEEE 1275. You can find the info on it the "Open Firmware Home Page" at http://playground.sun.com/1275/home.html

Although it looks like it's been untouched since early 1999, it also appears quite a bit was done with it for the PowerPC platforms, and it could certainly be used on pretty much any other platform as well, if it makes sense. It may be time to revive this IEEE committee to jump-start both it and the efforts to produce viable open BIOS implementations.

What I want in a BIOS is

• good support for configuring and troubleshooting the system (power management, boot sequence, disabling devices, querying the hardware configuration, etc.)
• good support for booting multiple operating systems
• good support for basic disk operations (format, maybe partition)
• some minimal driver support for important devices that is usable (though not necessarily optimal) by a protected mode operating system
• some ability to communicate with the BIOS to perform some of the above operations from a running operating system (where it makes sense)

It seems to me that Open Firmware is a good contender and starting point. It is already fairly widely used, it is programmable, and it seems to work fairly well. One of the nicer features is that it is actually programmable (in Forth) and provides full access to the machine. So, you can load extensions (e.g., new partitioning schemes) into it easily and portably. I believe there is an open source project trying to create an Open Firmware implementation for PCs (I can't find the link, though).

Sun has an example which uses URLConnection.

Another useful tool we use is IBM's XML4J, now part of the Apache project. There are a number of useful Java, XML and other tools at the same site (alphaWorks), it's worth browsing around.

Finally, here's the XML-related Apache site.

Personally, I don't really see why we need more IDE's for Java. I'm perfectly happy with vim+syntax highlighting. :)

Some helpful links for the unbathed masses:

IBM's Java AlphaWorks SDK For Linux
IBM's VisualAge Java SDK For Linux
Sun's "Java 2" SDK for Linux

Get crackin',

Bowie J. Poag

• Just got back from the first day of JavaOne. I'm happy to say that Sun sounds like they're fairly serious about Linux support. Lots of Linux visibility at the conference, several talks and BOFs. The biggest news I heard is that Java 1.4 ("Merlin") should be released simultaneously on Windows, Solaris, and Linux.

J2SE 1.4 is winding it's way through the Java Community Process - see the (incomplete) specification lead.

• Yay! Pretty much all the standard J2SE and J2EE stuff should be coming out for Linux, including Hotspot (client & server), Java plug-in, etc.

• x86 releases only for now.

• Just got back from the first day of JavaOne. I'm happy to say that Sun sounds like they're fairly serious about Linux support. Lots of Linux visibility at the conference, several talks and BOFs. The biggest news I heard is that Java 1.4 ("Merlin") should be released simultaneously on Windows, Solaris, and Linux.

J2SE 1.4 is winding it's way through the Java Community Process - see the (incomplete) specification lead.

• Yay! Pretty much all the standard J2SE and J2EE stuff should be coming out for Linux, including Hotspot (client & server), Java plug-in, etc.

• x86 releases only for now.

The J2SETM Platform on Linux, Update and Roadmap
___

I think Forte for Java, Community Edition is a good option, but people might also want to take a look at the JBuilder Foundation, Community Edition.

The short answer is that there is currently no "complete" solution. By "complete", I mean:

• Comprehensive APIs with UI support.
• RAD tool.
• Good database access.
• Actually shipping and available right now.

Before the knees of Java-heads start jerking, let us examine how the obvious candidate falls short:

100% Pure Java
Though Java written only to Sun's API is in theory useable for a cross-platform app, there are a few pragmatic issues -- the APIs are very poor and complex, the UI layer (Swing, née AWT) sucks ass, VM idiosyncracies are rampant, and performance may be a problem (though improvements are constantly being made). On the up side, there are several RAD environments for Java, your development and deployment platforms can be (more or less) different, and database access is reasonably solid (JDBC).

More or less everything else out there is incomplete in terms of the three main criteria you have stated (UI APIs, RAD tool, DB access).

Apple's Cocoa/Yellow Box/OpenStep Frameworks
For just the Mac, the Cocoa frameworks that are a part of Mac OS X are by far the best solution. They are vastly more sophisticated, complete and robust that anything else on any platform (with the possible exception of some SmallTalk environments). Cocoa has top notch UI support (the AppKit), an eminently usable RAD environment (ProjectBuilder, InterfaceBuilder et al.) and DB access that is about 2 generations ahead of anything else (Enterprise Objects Framework). Cocoa is also completely cross-platform technically, and has been so for several years (at one point running on Mach (m68k, i386, hp-pa, sparc) & Windows (i386). So what's the problem? Apple does not currently license Cocoa for anything other than the Mac, and has indicated no plans to do so. This prevents people for whom cross-platform development is essential from using what is without a doubt the most advanced application development environment in existence. Yes, it sucks. Harrass leadership@apple.com about it.

So what are other people in the same predicament doing? Though there isn't currently a perfect, off-the-shelf answer, there are many things one can do to get close:

• Ensure that your app design & architecture are modular - break all the database stuff and business logic out into a "model", which has no UI and can therefore be highly portably written in Objective-C, or C, or C++, or whatever. Java, with JDBC, may be viable as a cross-platform solution here.
• Abstract all UI and "controller" behavior into as thin a layer as possible, so that it is easier to implement it against different UI layers (Carbon, MFC, GTK, whatever). The main obstacle you face here is having to implement the UI code natively for each platform. The various abstraction layers that are commercially or freely available tend to take a least common denominator approach, and hence sacrifice quality, speed and flexibility. Unless you don't care about you UI very much, they are not all that useful.

Other random notes: If GNUStep ever gets close to complete, your Cocoa code should trivially port to anything supported by GNUStep. Currently, the non-UI layer (Foundation) is production quality. Also, if your database schema is complex/demanding, you really, really should take a look at EOF, which is now a part of Apple's WebObjects product.

Handy-dandy URLs
Mac OS X Developer Documentation
GNUStep, a free implementation of the OPENSTEP spec.
Java 2 Documentation

I don't commend my code hardly at all, believing that if it needs comments, I haven't done my job well enough of making the code clear.

I always comment my classes, fields in methods using JavaDocs. This way I can compile an easy reference as HTML documents (example).

I think documenting the behaviour and use of classes, fields and methods is important, not so much documenting the code that's inside a method (though I often document that too).

Another advantage of JavaDocs (There's a similar thing for C(++)) is that the HTML documents can be used as a specification (if done well, of course).

You make a valid point about updating the code though.

Check out SunWare. Yes, you can get freebies, but for the really nice stuff, they want you to pay. Many large vendors have setups like this one. And yes, many "self-respecting geeks" do wear such. I personally won't pay to advertise another company, but lots of folks will, evidently.

I think ESR means well, but that RMS is sadly right. Without things such as the copyleft, giant soulless corporations will steal anything that's not bolted down. It's a shame that people have to be forced into playing nice, but that's the way the world is.

I was hoping someone would mention this, because one of StarOffice's greatest features is it's cross-platform. StarOffice is available for download in Solaris, Linux, Windows 9x/NT, and OS/2 binaries at Sun's site. I'd also like to point out that StarOffice is not bloatware - it's only 65 megs for a great Office suite.

Given all of these things though, StarOffice is probably not an appropriate choice for a large business network...yet. As of 5.1 (5.2 is supposed to be different), StarOffice only supports Office 97 documents. Also, StarOffice is not available for the Macintosh (which we must think about in order to deploy across a large company). From the testimonies here, the import/export can be shaky in some applications, so it needs a little improvement, but that will come with time. Of course, for those Outlook people, StarOffice doesn't offer functionality with the increasingly popular (yet evil :) Exchange Server. This must be changed, if possible, or create their own server package that's (hopefully) cross-platform so that businesses could be all-StarOffice. I bet they could even sell that software for a fair (less than Exchange) price and it'd still be popular, as long as it runs on more than Solaris.

In short, I think StarOffice is great and would recommend it for individual computers (both home and office) especially if you want to run a different OS. However, this Office-alternative is not yet ready to be a company-wide Office-replacement.

... the Thinking Machines CM-5 ... used Sun servers. I'm sure there are others that used less-powerful system to run mathematical behemoths.

Yup. The Sun Enterprise 10000 (AKA "Starfire") uses a dedicated Ultra 5 as the console/management station. It connects via dedicated ethernet to the Starfire.

... the Thinking Machines CM-5 ... used Sun servers. I'm sure there are others that used less-powerful system to run mathematical behemoths.

Yup. The Sun Enterprise 10000 (AKA "Starfire") uses a dedicated Ultra 5 as the console/management station. It connects via dedicated ethernet to the Starfire.

Self rules. Too bad you posted AC, otherwise I'd let you in on my two dirty little secrets: implementations of classless OOP (a la Self) for Perl and Python, complete with robust persistence, including code storage. I guess you'll just have to wait for the release :)

Coming soon - in JDK 1.4 (Merlin) hopefully.

Coming soon - in JDK 1.4 (Merlin) hopefully.

What, the ones that prominently display "Microsoft Telnet copyright Microsoft corp." when run? The point is that if you have to search the file for a string that is not prominently displaying the actual source (as in origin) of the program.

The funny thing is that Microsoft continues to say that free software cannot be trusted, whereas they have had to use it for anything mission-critical, like the TCP stack in general. Also the wonders of Hotmail not working with Exchange, only with qmail, and of course freebsd.

That BSD software gets around, too. It forms the heart of the Sun Solaris networking stack, and I would imagine is used by Netware and MacOS. It is of course used by Mac OS X Server and its open source cousin, Darwin.

Another interesting point... if you try to use Microsoft for your main DNS servers, your isp will laugh at you. Everyone knows some form of *nix or *bsd is required for anything so critical. Besides, they are free. ;).

Many people think Java is controlled by Sun. However, that is not entirely the case - for just about any area of Java you care to name, there are mailing lists and discussion forums where they discuss developments of various API's, and they really listen!

I know, I subscribed to the Java2D mailing list for a long time before they released the API. They asked the list many questions, and listened to everyone. Sometimes they shot ideas down if they thought they just were not a good idea (support for pallete cycling was one example here), but at least they listened to complaints about the way the API was going and did make changes based on input. One member even went so far as to code up the whole propsed Java2D API so people could try it out in practice and make comments.

Similarily, programmers have the opportuninty to voice thier opinion in code which is released under the SCSL (Sun Community Source Licence). Is it really "Open Source"? No. But then again, it does give you the opportunity to fix things and talk to the developers about how things are in Java in the clearest way possible - through code. Think of it as "free speech" where only one person showed up to hear you talk.

It is still true that Java is under Suns' control,
but never before (that I know of) has a company had a product with as much outside review and commentary in development.

Another post I sent in last night which quickly got rejected was this:

• Although Sun released Java 2 Standard Edition 1.3 for Windows a few weeks ago, until now there hasn't even been a beta from Sun for either Linux or Solaris, until tonight.
• J2S E 1.3 for Linux Beta (for x86) which also includes HotSpot Server. This was with the help of the Blackdown guys, though the credits are in a somewhat obscure place. J 2SE 1.3 for Solaris Beta SPARC and x86 (includes HotSpot Server) was also announced today. In the future, releases for all platforms will be at the same time.

Unfortunately, that release came a little too late for me to do much about, though I have quickly tested the Solaris x86 (on the same hardware as the Windows tests), and the rests are pretty much identical, though Solaris was a bit faster. (but then, I was running without the desktop running which does help).

Also coming a bit too late was results from IBM's Windows 1.2.2 JDK, which I found a bit surprising - it did worse on some tests, and better on others, though I didn't have much time to test things.

Thanks for the replies... kinda makes it all worth it - it took me about 100 hours over 4 weeks to do this. (took up a lot of my evenings)

I better re-install Linux sometime so I can test on it again... (my last install stopped working for unknown reasons)

It'll probably be some time before I update the article - first I want to finish off my MAJC article, which really is too damn big. (22,000 words... ouch).

Another post I sent in last night which quickly got rejected was this:

• Although Sun released Java 2 Standard Edition 1.3 for Windows a few weeks ago, until now there hasn't even been a beta from Sun for either Linux or Solaris, until tonight.
• J2S E 1.3 for Linux Beta (for x86) which also includes HotSpot Server. This was with the help of the Blackdown guys, though the credits are in a somewhat obscure place. J 2SE 1.3 for Solaris Beta SPARC and x86 (includes HotSpot Server) was also announced today. In the future, releases for all platforms will be at the same time.

Unfortunately, that release came a little too late for me to do much about, though I have quickly tested the Solaris x86 (on the same hardware as the Windows tests), and the rests are pretty much identical, though Solaris was a bit faster. (but then, I was running without the desktop running which does help).

Also coming a bit too late was results from IBM's Windows 1.2.2 JDK, which I found a bit surprising - it did worse on some tests, and better on others, though I didn't have much time to test things.

Thanks for the replies... kinda makes it all worth it - it took me about 100 hours over 4 weeks to do this. (took up a lot of my evenings)

I better re-install Linux sometime so I can test on it again... (my last install stopped working for unknown reasons)

It'll probably be some time before I update the article - first I want to finish off my MAJC article, which really is too damn big. (22,000 words... ouch).

Another post I sent in last night which quickly got rejected was this:

• Although Sun released Java 2 Standard Edition 1.3 for Windows a few weeks ago, until now there hasn't even been a beta from Sun for either Linux or Solaris, until tonight.
• J2S E 1.3 for Linux Beta (for x86) which also includes HotSpot Server. This was with the help of the Blackdown guys, though the credits are in a somewhat obscure place. J 2SE 1.3 for Solaris Beta SPARC and x86 (includes HotSpot Server) was also announced today. In the future, releases for all platforms will be at the same time.

Unfortunately, that release came a little too late for me to do much about, though I have quickly tested the Solaris x86 (on the same hardware as the Windows tests), and the rests are pretty much identical, though Solaris was a bit faster. (but then, I was running without the desktop running which does help).

Also coming a bit too late was results from IBM's Windows 1.2.2 JDK, which I found a bit surprising - it did worse on some tests, and better on others, though I didn't have much time to test things.

Thanks for the replies... kinda makes it all worth it - it took me about 100 hours over 4 weeks to do this. (took up a lot of my evenings)

I better re-install Linux sometime so I can test on it again... (my last install stopped working for unknown reasons)

It'll probably be some time before I update the article - first I want to finish off my MAJC article, which really is too damn big. (22,000 words... ouch).

Of course, even if the published specifications are complete and consistent enough to let you write your own implementation (believe me, I haven't tried), being able to call the result "Java(tm)" is something else entirely.

--Seen

Of course, even if the published specifications are complete and consistent enough to let you write your own implementation (believe me, I haven't tried), being able to call the result "Java(tm)" is something else entirely.

--Seen

Let me apply this "burden" to the 'net: if you connect to the Internet and pass a virus (even unaware) your privileges to stay connected may be revoked or suspended. What?!? Well, you take on a lot of responsibility to connect to the rest of us. If you cannot take basic precautions to protect others from your transmissions then you are subject to loosing your right to be on the 'net. The onus is on you.

It's easy to post on Slashdot that this kind of thing should happen. The majority of Slashdot readers are tech savvy, and all of them could probably be considered more than semi-computer literate.

No, the only short-term solution is to inform your co-workers individually (ie, each person who has tech knowledge, inform your co-workers about the dangers of Outlook, Attachments, etc, and tell them the benefits of more secure software, and perhaps, if circumstances permit, more secure operating systems, like Linux or the ultra-stable Solaris Operating Enviroment

Cheers,

Let me apply this "burden" to the 'net: if you connect to the Internet and pass a virus (even unaware) your privileges to stay connected may be revoked or suspended. What?!? Well, you take on a lot of responsibility to connect to the rest of us. If you cannot take basic precautions to protect others from your transmissions then you are subject to loosing your right to be on the 'net. The onus is on you.

It's easy to post on Slashdot that this kind of thing should happen. The majority of Slashdot readers are tech savvy, and all of them could probably be considered more than semi-computer literate.

No, the only short-term solution is to inform your co-workers individually (ie, each person who has tech knowledge, inform your co-workers about the dangers of Outlook, Attachments, etc, and tell them the benefits of more secure software, and perhaps, if circumstances permit, more secure operating systems, like Linux or the ultra-stable Solaris Operating Enviroment

Cheers,

Personally, I wouldn't want to make my living off of the free software I write. I think it would create too much of a conflict of interest for me. It would be nice, though, if there was a better way to encourage (voluntary) profits for free software developers. Right now, at least, "libre" == "gratis".

Sun already provides the code to their various software technology products.

My feeling is that they're keeping their source code technologies, especially the revolutionary Java, more closed than those of stauncher Open Source models for a while longer, to allow them to mature, before releasing them fully. I have no doubt that this is what they're planning. It's not some evil Corporate Conspiracy like you're suggesting, schwap.

Caldera and Apache were probably not included for their open-sourceness (is that a word?), but more as major players in the current landscape of computing. I don't think we'll see Java open-sourced under the GPL anytime soon just because the Apache Software Foundation has a seat on the Executive Committee. That aside, this can only mean good things: namely, a colaborative effort ensuring that the whole "write once run anywhere" mantra applies (and continues to apply) to Linux and Apache.

Interesting Note: It is still nice to see Apache and Caldera (or other Linux vendors) listed among other big players in the industry, as they are in the complete list of the Committee: Apache Software Foundation, Apple, BEA, Caldera, Compaq, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, IONA, Inprise, Insignia, Matsushita, Motorola, Nokia, Novell, Oracle, Palm, Philips, Siemens, Sony, Sun Microsystems, and Wind River.

Also, since this is only a press release (Sun's website also has it available.), I wonder when we can get some comments from Caldera and Apache on what their gameplan/goals are for this committee. (other than the quick blurb in the press release)

This post was extremely insightful, cpt kangarooski. What to do about a company that holds enormous sway with corporations and individuals alike, that doesn't need to worry about competing OS companies and contenders, but does anyway? Microsoft's tactics are the most staunch argument against capitalism I can think of.

Fortunately, there are still companies who's integrity matches the highest standard, and even when done wrong by other companies - still maintain their promise of amazing service and quality. One of these companies is Sun Microsystems.

Many of the larger Sun systems? Try one. The E10K. And the term you are looking for is "Dynamic System Domains", not "virtual machines".

so that if one goes down the rest of the system can keep running while you replace that one processor board and then bring it up

True, unless the part that fails happens to be your backplane. Then the entire system must be powered down for replacement.

Use to have a link but lost it...

Try this one.

Hmmmm. No. I don't think clusters are suited to the type of application in question. Quake wouldn't really benefit from massive parrallel processing. Yes, from more processing power - as long as it's on a local bus and not distributed over a network into seperate nodes. The main factors in Quake speed would be Random Access Memory and the quality of graphics adapter used in the comptuer running the game.

A good example of how Linux can be made into a model of distributed service handling is the impressive HA Linux. (High Availability Linux). The team is working closely with the Linux Virtual Server project, and the technology looks impressive. In a few years it could even compete with Sun's high end technology.

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Sun Certified Programmer for the Java Platform

- Sun Certified System Administrator for Solaris

Looks like a Microsoft press statement to me. Keep your eye on these Python folks.

I'm hoping to help the JPython effort by extending it to take full advantage of the robust Java platform, as I think that Python is an excellent technology which should be integrated with Java. Java and Python. A killer combination.

- Sun Certified Programmer for the Java Platform

- Sun Certified System Administrator for Solaris

No, I'm sorry, but I'm sick of people with no clue about a) computers and b) politeness using the net and making it all the worse for all of us. I remember the web back in the early 90s when it was first opened up, and their was *gasp* informative content readily available.

crappy homepages (who cares what your dog is called? And your picture is so fucking ugly!)

Perhaps people who are dog lovers, vets, or hold animal-related positions will care about this first peice of information, and as for the second, perhaps the picture is used to convey the person's appearance to someone geographically distant who would otherwise not be able to view the person in question.

Now, as for the commerical factor, no matter how you slice it, companies have been involved with the Internet's expansion from the time it has been opened up. Certainly, it's conception and implementation was intially handled by scientests, miliatry scientests and university hackers, but the actual expansion - which has led to it becoming the worldwide network it has become, is largely a result of corporate funding.

And with the newbies have come the script-kiddies, people who think they're 31337 because they can fuck other people's computers up. Now that's progress!

And, of course, with technology like the Transmeta Crusoe CPUA JVM could be built into the CPU using Transmeta's impressive Code Morphing(tm) technology, creating in effect, a "Java chip". Personally, that's the way I think AOL and Transmeta *should* go here, no eliminating Linux by any means, because Linux is an excellent platform, and I'm impressed with their insightfulness at choosing this operating system - but rather, to run Java and Linux side by side, perhaps implementing a customized JVM on top of the embedded Linux system.

In any event, it's good to see technologies such as Linux being used in devices such as this. I believe that with robust technologies such as Linux and Java, the embedded market could soar to new heights, and be used to improve human communication by orders of magnitude, part of which would involve humanising technology that would otherwise be frightening to the man in the street.

- Sun Certified Programmer for the Java Platform

- Sun Certified System Administrator for Solaris