I'm using it now and it's very nice. Mozilla has been my primary browser since 0.8, mainly because I conscientiously refuse to touch Microsoft products -- but at this stage of the game I think I can safely say that it really is a world-class browser that can stand on its own merits. It's fast, it's accurate, and it's good looking. --
This would be a great application of Mozilla code. These folks need to build a branded version of Mozilla and distribute it as 'their' browser, bundling in all the tools and services (as well as the advertising thingies they need to keep the service free). It's just too risky using IE or the Netscape-branded version of Mozilla -- these browsers are distributed by their two biggest competitors! --
I've always wondered myself why MTA-to-MTA encryption isn't more prevalent. It's not all that difficult; all you have to do is run SMTP over SSL. There's even a port number assigned for it (465/tcp).
Sending MTA's simply need to try port 465 first, and if they can get an SMTP-over-SSL connection, transmit the mail that way.
The only caveat is, when you trust your privacy to this paradigm, you are assuming that everything downstream from the mail server is secure. This is fine if The Enemy is government-sponsored wiretappers at the major Internet backbones, but if you are afraid that someone's snooping the in-house LAN, you'll have to use something that's integrated into your client program. --
Let's set aside the fact that Mozilla isn't finished yet and focus on where it aims to be. As many of us know, Mozilla isn't just a web browser -- it's an entire portable application framework. That whole XUL thing wasn't written just to make Mozilla-the-browser more bulky, you know.
I'd be willing to bet that AOL has been busy porting the entire AOL client software package to something based on XUL and Gecko. I had heard a rumor that this was happening, and that because of the "chinese finger trap" contract with Microsoft, that the one they had in the test lab actually used Mozilla for everything except web browsing -- how ironic! If negotiations have broken down, then they'll be able to go with an all-Mozilla solution. Look at the benefits:
The popular AOL client software is now free of all that legacy crap they've been working with for the last decade -- it's now very dynamic and extensible.
It's now portable. America Online users will now have the same online experience, whether they're on a Winbox, a Mac, a set-top box, a kiosk, or a portable tablet type of thing. And the work required to make it run on generic Linux machines is so trivial, that they just might say "what the hell" and release one.
Let's not forget that you don't have to go through Microsoft anymore to get on the Windows desktop. AOL can make preload deals with the major manufacturers of home computers and get that icon on the desktop anyway.
I think that AOL is better off without Microsoft. And the computer using population is certainly better off with some real competition on the Internet. --
ICANN acquired by Microsoft!
on
IETF vs. ICANN
·
· Score: 2
In other news today, ICANN has announced that it has been acquired by Microsoft for $5.6 billion in common stock and innovation vouchers. "Domain names are intellectual property," said Bill Gates, "and there isn't anyone better at intellectual property defense than Microsoft. Look at us innovate."
Microsoft then went on to announce that the Internet's "legacy" DNS will be phased out and replaced with Microsoft's own Active Directory Services. This migration will begin immediately. --
Being cross-platform and providing those other functions is vital to the Mozilla project. If they'd just done a simple, Windows-only, WWW-only program, what incentive would there be for people to use it, when IE is already there?
No, the true value of Mozilla (and the Communicator suite which preceded it) is that you have a consistent set of tools available on all platforms -- including future embedded boxes. Netscape knows that trying to compete with Microsoft on the Windows platform is suicide due to Microsoft's bundle-opoly. They control the integration framework and have the power to marginalize anyone who they consider a threat. By providing a complete Internet communication suite, Netscape can provide access to the Web and email (and now, instant messaging) on Windows, and then provide a consistent experience for those users who choose to migrate to another platform. That's been the Netscape vision from the beginning -- only Microsoft caught on to their game a bit too early for them to complete it, and took steps to grind them into dust.
The Mozilla project is still meaningful, and I believe it is one of perhaps three or four programs whose continued existence are absolutely crucial to the preservation of a world in which Microsoft does not have 100 percent market share of all three major sectors (desktop, server, and embedded).
This message has been proudly posted using Mozilla. --
This has been talked about for many years. The trick is to do it safely. High-power microwave being beamed down to anywhere other than the intended receiver can be a serious danger. Imagine if that beam lands on, say, a person.
The most obvious solution, and probably the one that will get implemented in one form or another, is for the receiver to transmit a homing signal for the bird to locate, and the power relay only gets turned on when the homing signal is locked in.
One might wonder, though, what kind of danger could exist if some not-so-nice cracker got into the control system of such a satellite and aimed the beam at someone they'd like to cook... --
The only real way to prevent the "domain real estate" stupidity we have now (squatting, disputes, etc.) is to reduce the value of a domain name. This should be done by having so many TLD's available that nobody could possibly want to register the same second-level name in all of them -- nor would it be feasible to do so.
Imagine having 50 to 100 TLD's (aside from the country code TLD's of course). There'd be plenty of room for everyone.
Back when FM radio was first introduced, the FCC had a rule which specified that a radio station could not transmit the same programming on its AM and FM stations. This was eventually changed, but it promoted enough differentiation to give FM its own identity. Something similar could be done with TLD's as well.
Personally, I think there need to be more non-profit TLD's available..org is too crowded. There should be TLD's for personal/family sites, BBS's, etc. --
Y'know, I'm getting quite tired of hearing the Slashdot editors always refer to BBS's as if they are completely a thing of the past. Some of us are still running our BBS's, often just for fun instead of for profit. Inexpensive DSL with static IP addressing makes it possible for the hobbyist computer enthusiast to once again put up a public access system without requiring a revenue source. the software continues to improve and become ever more integrated with the modern Internet.
Dialup BBSing is dead -- for that matter, the days of dialup Internet are numbered, what with DSL and cable becoming ever more prevalent. But BBSing in general continues to go strong.
In fact, with the web becoming ever-more controlled by corporate interests, and UseNet rapidly approaching a zero percent signal-to-noise ratio, BBS sites will probably rise in popularity as the more enjoyable places to frequent on the Internet. Many BBS's are reminiscent of the way the Internet was before Corporate America dumbed it down. --
The best way to do it, then, would be to have a little slider bar in the KDE or GNOME control panel. Slide it one way to make services run faster, slide it the other way to make the desktop run faster. --
Think it's impossible for The Man to make the use of FreeNet illegal? Try this easy three-step sting operation on for size.
Inject some really illegal information into the FreeNet (kiddie porn comes to mind, since it's the anti-freedom crowd's favorite bogeyman these days)
Go somewhere else and search for it
Find the person who owns the server you got it from, and throw them in jail.
It doesn't matter that the person you're throwing in jail probably didn't even know what was on the box. Under the DMCA, they're responsible anyway. After a few of these sting operations, done at a high enough profile to make an example of them, no one will want to run FreeNet servers anymore. In fact, most server operators will put a closer eye on what their users are doing -- exactly the desired effect.
Actually, an ADSL line is asymmetric for technology reasons. While it's true that the LEC's don't like the idea of you running high-volume servers, the lower upstream rate is actually a pleasant side effect for them rather than a piece of the design.
You see, when you have big bundles of copper coming back into the CO, there are issues with crosstalk that have to be dealt with due to the density of the bundle, combined with the fact that the upstream signals at that point are fairly weak (since they've already made the trip from your house to the CO). Such crosstalk is easier to avoid at lower line speeds (say, 90 kbps) than it is at higher line speeds (such as 640 kbps). When sending data downstream, crosstalk isn't an issue, because by the time the downstream signals have degraded, they're already at the subscribers' homes and businesses, on individual cables.
Exactly. Windows 3.1 wouldn't have gotten anywhere if it didn't support DOS apps. Windows 95 wouldn't have taken hold if it didn't run Windows 3.1 apps. Backwards compatibility is essential. But then you have to offer something over and above backwards compatibility -- some sort of value add that makes it worth moving up. --
It's vitally important that someone gets a good, vendor-neutral video format established. We need the video equivalent of.MP3, and soon. If not, ASF (Windows Media Player) will become the de-facto standard in a few years, effectively locking Linux out of the desktop market because it "can't play video." --
This is something to take at face value. Most of us knew that there was going to be a shakeout. Those remaining will be the ones offering real value -- possibly through consolidation. In fact, the Linux companies that can offer end-to-end solutions will do well.
I can easily see Eazel and Ximian merging -- their business plans overlap in so many areas that it just makes sense. There's even some overlap with Red Hat (cf. their new services network).
This isn't the end for Linux. It's the end of the hype. We'll live through it. --
The true open source replacement for both OpenMail and Exchange is Citadel. It's rapidly shaping up to be a real Exchange killer. Powerful multithreaded server, transactional data store, POP and SMTP currently working, IMAP by the end of the year... bulletin boards, chat, instant messaging... clients in development for multiple platforms, web-based access already here... We're also planning on doing a MAPI connector similar to the one that HP wrote for OpenMail.
Citadel has already reached a point where people are starting to implement non-trivial projects on top of it. Come join the fun and help us stab MS in the back like they did to HP! --
Chuck Flynn is correct: Jim Allchin is a first class lunatic.
I wish I'd saved the article: this is a guy who claimed, back in November 1997, that Windows NT would become the full equal of a mainframe in three years. Well, November 2000 came and went, and mainframes are still light years ahead of anything Microsoft can do. --
I have to make this obligatory comment every time someone mentions groupware: we are writing exactly what you are asking for.
The Citadel project aims to be the "Exchange killer" of open source. SMTP and POP3 are working, IMAP is in development, and we already store user information in vCard format. Another developer is writing an iCalendar-based scheduling system for it, too.
Our high-performance multithreaded server will be the platform required to build really great groupware applications. At first we'll just use existing clientware, but eventually we'll be looking into writing client drivers for Camel (the API used by Evolution) and MAPI (so the Outlook droids can connect as well). The aim is no less than cross-platform groupware, including shared address books, shared calendaring and scheduling, etc. without the side effect of making Linux users second-class citizens (as is the case when you connect to Exchange server using anything other than Outlook).
It's ironic that this story should appear on Slashdot just as Yet Another Visual Basic Virus spreads through the address books of everyone who uses that digital Petri dish of an e-mail program called Microsoft Outlook (or, based on the number of virii it spreads, perhaps it should be called Microsoft Outbreak instead).
The cost of virii is directly proportional to the stubbornness of both users and IT managers who refuse to get rid of programs like Outbreak which have repeatedly demonstrated this sort of problem, with no real remedy on the horizon. Infect me once, shame on you. Infect me twice, shame on me. Infect me three times, and I deserve to die because I'm not taking precautions! --
Why the Berkeley DB? Why not a whole bunch of databases? This seems really short-sighted to me. I personally would like to store my email in mysql, since I already have a MySQL db. I'm sure many others would like to use mSQL, Oracle, Sybase, or even M$ SQL Server.
Quite simply: ease of installation. While the very big installations have lots of DBA's on hand, your typical "plug it in and go" shops don't. Installation really needs to be easy - just install the software, plug in a few variables like your domain name, and start running.
However, you'll be happy to know that we've wrapped all of the database calls into a data store API. Recently we made the transition from GDBM to Berkeley DB without having to rewrite everything -- just drop in a new data store module and re-import the data (yes, there's an import/export utility). It would be quite straightforward for someone to write a data store module that uses MySQL, Oracle, or whatever. --
Both formats have problems. A true enterprise-grade message store will use an embedded database with transactions support.
Fortunately, a solution to this problem is being developed right now. The Citadel/UX project is developing a robust communications server that will compete with products like OpenMail, Groupwise, and Exchange. SMTP and POP3 are already in place; IMAP will be available by the end of the year. Web-based access works as well. After that's done we'll be writing plug-ins for both Evolution and Outlook, in order to facilitate all of the 'shiny things' working as well: calendars, address books, etc.
So, you might ask, what mailbox format does it use? None of the above. Messages are stored in a database, like they should be. The Berkeley DB package from Sleepycat Software (yes, it's open source) is used for robust back-end storage, including transaction and logging support.
I'd encourage any developers who are looking for the open source world's "Exchange Killer" to get involved in this project. --
This is a smart move all around: think synergy and value. Red Hat has been losing mindshare as of late, especially with the disaster that was Red Hat Linux 7.0. Eazel is on the verge of delivering something very cool that's going to make Linux far more friendly to the end user. Eazel are people that truly "get it."
Everyone gets something out of this deal. Red Hat gets a much more usable end user OS. Eazel gets to deliver real product to real customers (read: revenue stream). Linux users win because the entire OS moves forward, more users come on board, the network effect kicks in, etc.
The whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts in this deal. Good luck to all involved. --
Really. Let's get out of angry reactive mode and seriously ask ourselves that question. While the phrasing is deliberately provocative (I really wouldn't say 'killing Linux') we should take a look at Linus' management skills.
Obviously, it's his project, and his perogative. But if you follow the 'Kernel Traffic' website to see what's going on in the list, you'll see a lot of prevaricating on Linus' part. We all know that he's a brilliant developer. But his management skills seem to be less than ideal. He lets deadlines slip, which by itself is no big deal for an open source project, but it happens because he often doesn't stick to his guns when it comes to drawing the line on feature creep for production kernels. Entire interfaces and huge subsystems were changing, very late into the 2.4.0 development process.
I wonder if Linus and the core kernel developers could benefit from the help of a Project Manager. Not to make important development decisions for them, but rather to keep it coordinated and moving in the right direction, and prevent the tangential stuff from turning kernel development into a big mess. --
802.11b is showing up everywhere. Think about this for a couple of minutes and you might feel inclined to breathe a sigh of relief. This is an area where a number of players would have liked to establish a de-facto standard, potentially a closed and monopolistic one.
It didn't happen.
802.11b happened, with ordinary TCP/IP and DHCP running over it. Do you realize what an impediment to Linux users it would have been, if "the standard" ended up being a closed one?
I'm thankful for this. I'm looking forward to a time in the not-too-distant future where I'll be able to boot my Linux-based laptop in lots of different places -- coffee shops, airplanes, offices, perhaps even my home if I feel so inclined -- and just be on the net without any further consideration.
This is one of those futuristic things that really looks like it's going to pan out just the way the dreamers imagined it. My hearty congratulations go out to the people who made it happen. --
Slashdot Mirror
I'm using it now and it's very nice. Mozilla has been my primary browser since 0.8, mainly because I conscientiously refuse to touch Microsoft products -- but at this stage of the game I think I can safely say that it really is a world-class browser that can stand on its own merits. It's fast, it's accurate, and it's good looking.
--
This would be a great application of Mozilla code. These folks need to build a branded version of Mozilla and distribute it as 'their' browser, bundling in all the tools and services (as well as the advertising thingies they need to keep the service free). It's just too risky using IE or the Netscape-branded version of Mozilla -- these browsers are distributed by their two biggest competitors!
--
I've always wondered myself why MTA-to-MTA encryption isn't more prevalent. It's not all that difficult; all you have to do is run SMTP over SSL. There's even a port number assigned for it (465/tcp).
Sending MTA's simply need to try port 465 first, and if they can get an SMTP-over-SSL connection, transmit the mail that way.
The only caveat is, when you trust your privacy to this paradigm, you are assuming that everything downstream from the mail server is secure. This is fine if The Enemy is government-sponsored wiretappers at the major Internet backbones, but if you are afraid that someone's snooping the in-house LAN, you'll have to use something that's integrated into your client program.
--
I'd be willing to bet that AOL has been busy porting the entire AOL client software package to something based on XUL and Gecko. I had heard a rumor that this was happening, and that because of the "chinese finger trap" contract with Microsoft, that the one they had in the test lab actually used Mozilla for everything except web browsing -- how ironic! If negotiations have broken down, then they'll be able to go with an all-Mozilla solution. Look at the benefits:
- The popular AOL client software is now free of all that legacy crap they've been working with for the last decade -- it's now very dynamic and extensible.
- It's now portable. America Online users will now have the same online experience, whether they're on a Winbox, a Mac, a set-top box, a kiosk, or a portable tablet type of thing. And the work required to make it run on generic Linux machines is so trivial, that they just might say "what the hell" and release one.
- Let's not forget that you don't have to go through Microsoft anymore to get on the Windows desktop. AOL can make preload deals with the major manufacturers of home computers and get that icon on the desktop anyway.
I think that AOL is better off without Microsoft. And the computer using population is certainly better off with some real competition on the Internet.--
In other news today, ICANN has announced that it has been acquired by Microsoft for $5.6 billion in common stock and innovation vouchers. "Domain names are intellectual property," said Bill Gates, "and there isn't anyone better at intellectual property defense than Microsoft. Look at us innovate."
Microsoft then went on to announce that the Internet's "legacy" DNS will be phased out and replaced with Microsoft's own Active Directory Services. This migration will begin immediately.
--
Being cross-platform and providing those other functions is vital to the Mozilla project. If they'd just done a simple, Windows-only, WWW-only program, what incentive would there be for people to use it, when IE is already there?
No, the true value of Mozilla (and the Communicator suite which preceded it) is that you have a consistent set of tools available on all platforms -- including future embedded boxes. Netscape knows that trying to compete with Microsoft on the Windows platform is suicide due to Microsoft's bundle-opoly. They control the integration framework and have the power to marginalize anyone who they consider a threat. By providing a complete Internet communication suite, Netscape can provide access to the Web and email (and now, instant messaging) on Windows, and then provide a consistent experience for those users who choose to migrate to another platform. That's been the Netscape vision from the beginning -- only Microsoft caught on to their game a bit too early for them to complete it, and took steps to grind them into dust.
The Mozilla project is still meaningful, and I believe it is one of perhaps three or four programs whose continued existence are absolutely crucial to the preservation of a world in which Microsoft does not have 100 percent market share of all three major sectors (desktop, server, and embedded).
This message has been proudly posted using Mozilla.
--
This has been talked about for many years. The trick is to do it safely. High-power microwave being beamed down to anywhere other than the intended receiver can be a serious danger. Imagine if that beam lands on, say, a person.
The most obvious solution, and probably the one that will get implemented in one form or another, is for the receiver to transmit a homing signal for the bird to locate, and the power relay only gets turned on when the homing signal is locked in.
One might wonder, though, what kind of danger could exist if some not-so-nice cracker got into the control system of such a satellite and aimed the beam at someone they'd like to cook...
--
Hmm... anyone who works anywhere with a reasonable size data center has access to floor pullers. You could just grab a couple of those and have at!
:)
And when it's late and you start getting punchy, you really do think of things like this...
--
The only real way to prevent the "domain real estate" stupidity we have now (squatting, disputes, etc.) is to reduce the value of a domain name. This should be done by having so many TLD's available that nobody could possibly want to register the same second-level name in all of them -- nor would it be feasible to do so.
.org is too crowded. There should be TLD's for personal/family sites, BBS's, etc.
Imagine having 50 to 100 TLD's (aside from the country code TLD's of course). There'd be plenty of room for everyone.
Back when FM radio was first introduced, the FCC had a rule which specified that a radio station could not transmit the same programming on its AM and FM stations. This was eventually changed, but it promoted enough differentiation to give FM its own identity. Something similar could be done with TLD's as well.
Personally, I think there need to be more non-profit TLD's available.
--
Y'know, I'm getting quite tired of hearing the Slashdot editors always refer to BBS's as if they are completely a thing of the past. Some of us are still running our BBS's, often just for fun instead of for profit. Inexpensive DSL with static IP addressing makes it possible for the hobbyist computer enthusiast to once again put up a public access system without requiring a revenue source. the software continues to improve and become ever more integrated with the modern Internet.
Dialup BBSing is dead -- for that matter, the days of dialup Internet are numbered, what with DSL and cable becoming ever more prevalent. But BBSing in general continues to go strong.
In fact, with the web becoming ever-more controlled by corporate interests, and UseNet rapidly approaching a zero percent signal-to-noise ratio, BBS sites will probably rise in popularity as the more enjoyable places to frequent on the Internet. Many BBS's are reminiscent of the way the Internet was before Corporate America dumbed it down.
--
The best way to do it, then, would be to have a little slider bar in the KDE or GNOME control panel. Slide it one way to make services run faster, slide it the other way to make the desktop run faster.
--
- Inject some really illegal information into the FreeNet (kiddie porn comes to mind, since it's the anti-freedom crowd's favorite bogeyman these days)
- Go somewhere else and search for it
- Find the person who owns the server you got it from, and throw them in jail.
It doesn't matter that the person you're throwing in jail probably didn't even know what was on the box. Under the DMCA, they're responsible anyway. After a few of these sting operations, done at a high enough profile to make an example of them, no one will want to run FreeNet servers anymore. In fact, most server operators will put a closer eye on what their users are doing -- exactly the desired effect.Welcome to AmeriKKKa. How DO you like it?!
--
Actually, an ADSL line is asymmetric for technology reasons. While it's true that the LEC's don't like the idea of you running high-volume servers, the lower upstream rate is actually a pleasant side effect for them rather than a piece of the design.
You see, when you have big bundles of copper coming back into the CO, there are issues with crosstalk that have to be dealt with due to the density of the bundle, combined with the fact that the upstream signals at that point are fairly weak (since they've already made the trip from your house to the CO). Such crosstalk is easier to avoid at lower line speeds (say, 90 kbps) than it is at higher line speeds (such as 640 kbps). When sending data downstream, crosstalk isn't an issue, because by the time the downstream signals have degraded, they're already at the subscribers' homes and businesses, on individual cables.
ECI Telecom has an excellent presentation on the issues facing ADSL distribution which I highly recommend reading.
--
Exactly. Windows 3.1 wouldn't have gotten anywhere if it didn't support DOS apps. Windows 95 wouldn't have taken hold if it didn't run Windows 3.1 apps. Backwards compatibility is essential. But then you have to offer something over and above backwards compatibility -- some sort of value add that makes it worth moving up.
--
It's vitally important that someone gets a good, vendor-neutral video format established. We need the video equivalent of .MP3, and soon. If not, ASF (Windows Media Player) will become the de-facto standard in a few years, effectively locking Linux out of the desktop market because it "can't play video."
--
This is something to take at face value. Most of us knew that there was going to be a shakeout. Those remaining will be the ones offering real value -- possibly through consolidation. In fact, the Linux companies that can offer end-to-end solutions will do well.
I can easily see Eazel and Ximian merging -- their business plans overlap in so many areas that it just makes sense. There's even some overlap with Red Hat (cf. their new services network).
This isn't the end for Linux. It's the end of the hype. We'll live through it.
--
The true open source replacement for both OpenMail and Exchange is Citadel. It's rapidly shaping up to be a real Exchange killer. Powerful multithreaded server, transactional data store, POP and SMTP currently working, IMAP by the end of the year... bulletin boards, chat, instant messaging... clients in development for multiple platforms, web-based access already here... We're also planning on doing a MAPI connector similar to the one that HP wrote for OpenMail.
Citadel has already reached a point where people are starting to implement non-trivial projects on top of it. Come join the fun and help us stab MS in the back like they did to HP!
--
Chuck Flynn is correct: Jim Allchin is a first class lunatic.
I wish I'd saved the article: this is a guy who claimed, back in November 1997, that Windows NT would become the full equal of a mainframe in three years. Well, November 2000 came and went, and mainframes are still light years ahead of anything Microsoft can do.
--
I have to make this obligatory comment every time someone mentions groupware: we are writing exactly what you are asking for.
The Citadel project aims to be the "Exchange killer" of open source. SMTP and POP3 are working, IMAP is in development, and we already store user information in vCard format. Another developer is writing an iCalendar-based scheduling system for it, too.
Our high-performance multithreaded server will be the platform required to build really great groupware applications. At first we'll just use existing clientware, but eventually we'll be looking into writing client drivers for Camel (the API used by Evolution) and MAPI (so the Outlook droids can connect as well). The aim is no less than cross-platform groupware, including shared address books, shared calendaring and scheduling, etc. without the side effect of making Linux users second-class citizens (as is the case when you connect to Exchange server using anything other than Outlook).
Check this project out. It's exciting.
--
It's ironic that this story should appear on Slashdot just as Yet Another Visual Basic Virus spreads through the address books of everyone who uses that digital Petri dish of an e-mail program called Microsoft Outlook (or, based on the number of virii it spreads, perhaps it should be called Microsoft Outbreak instead).
The cost of virii is directly proportional to the stubbornness of both users and IT managers who refuse to get rid of programs like Outbreak which have repeatedly demonstrated this sort of problem, with no real remedy on the horizon. Infect me once, shame on you. Infect me twice, shame on me. Infect me three times, and I deserve to die because I'm not taking precautions!
--
However, you'll be happy to know that we've wrapped all of the database calls into a data store API. Recently we made the transition from GDBM to Berkeley DB without having to rewrite everything -- just drop in a new data store module and re-import the data (yes, there's an import/export utility). It would be quite straightforward for someone to write a data store module that uses MySQL, Oracle, or whatever.
--
Both formats have problems. A true enterprise-grade message store will use an embedded database with transactions support.
Fortunately, a solution to this problem is being developed right now. The Citadel/UX project is developing a robust communications server that will compete with products like OpenMail, Groupwise, and Exchange. SMTP and POP3 are already in place; IMAP will be available by the end of the year. Web-based access works as well. After that's done we'll be writing plug-ins for both Evolution and Outlook, in order to facilitate all of the 'shiny things' working as well: calendars, address books, etc.
So, you might ask, what mailbox format does it use? None of the above. Messages are stored in a database, like they should be. The Berkeley DB package from Sleepycat Software (yes, it's open source) is used for robust back-end storage, including transaction and logging support.
I'd encourage any developers who are looking for the open source world's "Exchange Killer" to get involved in this project.
--
This is a smart move all around: think synergy and value. Red Hat has been losing mindshare as of late, especially with the disaster that was Red Hat Linux 7.0. Eazel is on the verge of delivering something very cool that's going to make Linux far more friendly to the end user. Eazel are people that truly "get it."
Everyone gets something out of this deal. Red Hat gets a much more usable end user OS. Eazel gets to deliver real product to real customers (read: revenue stream). Linux users win because the entire OS moves forward, more users come on board, the network effect kicks in, etc.
The whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts in this deal. Good luck to all involved.
--
Really. Let's get out of angry reactive mode and seriously ask ourselves that question. While the phrasing is deliberately provocative (I really wouldn't say 'killing Linux') we should take a look at Linus' management skills.
Obviously, it's his project, and his perogative. But if you follow the 'Kernel Traffic' website to see what's going on in the list, you'll see a lot of prevaricating on Linus' part. We all know that he's a brilliant developer. But his management skills seem to be less than ideal. He lets deadlines slip, which by itself is no big deal for an open source project, but it happens because he often doesn't stick to his guns when it comes to drawing the line on feature creep for production kernels. Entire interfaces and huge subsystems were changing, very late into the 2.4.0 development process.
I wonder if Linus and the core kernel developers could benefit from the help of a Project Manager. Not to make important development decisions for them, but rather to keep it coordinated and moving in the right direction, and prevent the tangential stuff from turning kernel development into a big mess.
--
802.11b is showing up everywhere. Think about this for a couple of minutes and you might feel inclined to breathe a sigh of relief. This is an area where a number of players would have liked to establish a de-facto standard, potentially a closed and monopolistic one. It didn't happen. 802.11b happened, with ordinary TCP/IP and DHCP running over it. Do you realize what an impediment to Linux users it would have been, if "the standard" ended up being a closed one? I'm thankful for this. I'm looking forward to a time in the not-too-distant future where I'll be able to boot my Linux-based laptop in lots of different places -- coffee shops, airplanes, offices, perhaps even my home if I feel so inclined -- and just be on the net without any further consideration. This is one of those futuristic things that really looks like it's going to pan out just the way the dreamers imagined it. My hearty congratulations go out to the people who made it happen.
--