New Caldera Promised

An anonymous reader writes "SCO has announced their plans to release a new version of Caldera Linux by the end of the year. From the announcement: 'To provide extensive reliability and performance features, the Linux Kernel 2.5 codebase has been merged with recently developed additions to SCO's world leading UNIX core operating system. Already contained code owned by SCO is still included benefiting the stability and overall experience opposed to recent Linux kernel releases.' The question is, is anyone listening?"

Comments

Linux Kernel 2.5 codebase

[Iphtashu Fitz]

The current linux kernel is version 2.6.x. IIRC, the 2.5 branch was a development branch. Why would anybody want to use a linux distro based on an old developers version of the kernel?

SCOs Reasoning...

[pavera]

It states in the press release that they are anticipating winning their lawsuits so they are releasing this version of Linux because as soon as they win they will be the only legal provider of Linux solutions.

Obviously as others have already stated, if they are using linux 2.5 codebase, don't they have to GPL everything they added? If not, can't Linus et al sue the pants off of them?

Talk about backfiring, here's a scenario for you.. MS gives SCO a chunk of cash to go fight linux, SCO illegally uses Linux code, Linus Torvalds sues them and gets all of MSs money to further linux development...

Not really a good parody

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, I'm not impressed by openlinux.com's parody skills. Using the SCO logo as well as statements that look like standard SEC disclaimers aren't a good idea. How different is this from someone trying to fake news in order to manipulate a stock price? The average user will not realize this is fake.

Is it a parody?

[mcc]

Real or not, this is absolutely SCO's website. Look at the whois.

Domain ID:D1704028-LROR
Domain Name:OPENLINUX.ORG
Created On:03-Aug-1998 04:00:00 UTC
Last Updated On:10-Nov-2004 04:47:01 UTC
Expiration Date:02-Aug-2006 04:00:00 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Dotster, Inc. (R34-LROR)
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:DOTR-00936995
Registrant Name:Domain Administrator
Registrant Organization:The SCO Group
Registrant Street1:355 S 520 W
Registrant Street2:Suite 100
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Lindon
Registrant State/Province:UT
Registrant Postal Code:84042
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.8019325800
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant ******************@sco.com
Admin ID:DOTC-03050361
Admin Name:Domain Administrator
Admin Organization:The SCO Group
Admin Street1:355 S 520 W
Admin Street2:Suite 100
Admin Street3:
Admin City:Lindon
Admin State/Province:UT
Admin Postal Code:84042
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.8019325800
Admin Phone Ext.:
Admin FAX:
Admin FAX Ext.:
Admin ******************@sco.com
Tech ID:DOTC-03050361
Tech Name:Domain Administrator
Tech Organization:The SCO Group
Tech Street1:355 S 520 W
Tech Street2:Suite 100
Tech Street3:
Tech City:Lindon
Tech State/Province:UT
Tech Postal Code:84042
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.8019325800
Tech Phone Ext.:
Tech FAX:
Tech FAX Ext.:
Tech ******************@sco.com
Name Server:NS.CALDERASYSTEMS.COM
Name Server:NS2.CALDERASYSTEMS.COM

Caldera nameservers and everything. So this is not a parody site. If this press release isn't real, it's only because SCO got hacked. Which is, y'know, a possibility. Weirdly enough, if you go to the IP address that openlinux.org currently points to (thus stripping away the openlinux.org site's virtual server), you get.. a page saying nothing but "FSI INF". "FSI INF"? WTF?

Meanwhile it is awfully suspicious that caldera.com says nothing about this that I can see. Is there any evidence this "press release" has been... you know... released to the press? Or is it just a page on a website?

Re:Really?

[Anonymous Coward]

I think they want a test of the GPL. It's bait. Someone is going to take their code and redistribute it "according to the GPL", if just to spite them. Then SCO can decide if, when and where they want to sue. They think they own Linux (via Unix), so they don't need to rely on the GPL to redistribute Linux. From that point of view refuting the GPL doesn't hurt them but it would shatter Open Source. It's a bet against all odds, but what have they got to lose?

Re:Really?

[dbIII]

Then SCO can decide if, when and where they want to sue.

Remember that a very highly paid member of the legal team is the brother of the CEO, who has a history that few would think would justify the very large amounts. Perhaps that will be a major factor if SCO takes more unwinnable legal action that will last for years - I personally think it was a major factor in going after IBM in the first place. Linux is not the victim here - SCO is getting milked by a two man scam right out of an old story about confidence tricksters.

Re:That's because this IS A FAKE

[algae]

because Bill Gates is a Jehovah's witness and so nothing can work on St. Swithin's day.

I tried this and got various different messages on each reload. It looks like the server is just calling fortune with the BOFH excuses file. Still unlikely to be a real press release though.